They had lost muscle and bone density and gained body fat. The exercisers, however, traded fat for muscle, improved their balance and gained strength and small, but significant, amounts of bone density. We worry about cancer, about heart attacks and strokes, but osteoporosis stays in the background. Women have two to three times as many hip fractures as men, but men have twice the mortality rate that women do in the year after a hip fracture. The high morbidity and consequent dependence associated with osteoporotic fractures are a strain on patients and their families.
Osteoporosis is an epidemic.
It's easy to ignore a disease that takes so long to show itself, and that has so few symptoms. Even so, scientists around the world are on their way to understanding how osteoporosis occurs and finding better ways to promote health and to prevent, diagnose and treat disease. Bone-mineral density predicts hip and other types of fractures, and women with low bone density have an increased risk of stroke. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or official policies of the American Dental Association. Foundation for Osteoporosis Research and Education.