When our bones become fragile, we experience pain and are susceptible to broken bones, also known as fractures, occurring typically in the hip, spine and wrist. Eighty percent of those with osteoporosis are women. One in two women and one in eight men over the age of 50 will sustain an osteoporosis fracture. One out of every four seniors experiencing a hip fracture dies in the year following the fracture. Although there is currently no cure for osteoporosis, there are combinations of treatments that can reduce the impact and, sometimes, reverse the disease.
Exercise is also a remarkable treatment for osteoporosis.
Walking, jogging, dancing, stair climbing and other forms of exercise that exert weight on the bones are also beneficial. Calcium and Vitamin D supplements are important for adult women of all ages, including those who have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis. Depending on age, calcium intake should be between 1000 and 1300 mg each day. Without enough Vitamin D, we can not absorb calcium from food and our bodies take calcium from our bones. Experts recommend a daily intake between 400 and 800 IU of Vitamin D each day.