Consensus statements from the Scientific Advisory Board of the Osteoporosis Society of Canada 1. This supplement has not been peer reviewed. Osteoporosis is a major health problem in Canada, causing fractures, disability, pain and deformity in a growing number of adults, especially women. Osteoporosis affects up to one in four women over 50. As many as two million Canadians may be at a risk of osteoporotic fracture during their lifetime.
Osteoporosis is also an important cause of death among elderly people.
Women's mortality rates from osteoporosis-related fracture are greater than the combined mortality rates from cancers of the breast and ovaries. An even higher prevalence of osteoporosis can be expected soon as Canada's population ages. In fact, the number of osteoporotic fractures is growing faster than the number of elderly people in the population. The treatment of fractures represents the most substantial direct cost of osteoporosis to the health care system. However, early intervention can prevent osteoporotic fractures through a combination of lifestyle, diet and therapeutic approaches.