Prior to age 35, bones are built and store efficiently. After that, as part of the aging process, the body begins to lose bone mass faster than it can rebuild. While women are 4 to 5 times more likely to develop the illness, about 5 to 6 million men are also affected by osteoporosis. Prevention and treatment can delay the onset of the illness by as much as 20 to 30 years. Osteoporosis is a major cause of fracture, pain, disability and death.
Prevention is the key to delay the onset and decrease the severity of the condition.
Risk factors include heredity, poor diet, sedentary life style, smoking and inadequate estrogen. It is recommended that all women should have a screening test to measure their bone strength before the age of menopause. The Hawai'i Osteoporosis Center developed the first FDA-approved reporting software for incorporating all risk factors into a single estimate of fracture risk. This sophisticated algorithm is converted and presented as a simple graphic, which utilizes the power of pattern recognition to communicate complicated concepts. In addition, the center acquired a new heal scanner this year, which will be used for the bone scanning here on the UHM campus.