The funds support a total of five programs including the establishment of three new regional Osteoporosis Resource Centers. The programs will provide awareness of the risks of osteoporosis and measures that can be taken to prevent the disease. These Resource Centers present enormous potential to improve and protect the health of all New Yorkers. Osteoporosis is more prevalent among women than men.
Women account for eight in ten people diagnosed with the disease.
Interventions for osteoporosis and fractures can be designed to prevent the development of the disease, reduce further bone loss, and lessen the risk of fracture. Opportunities for primary prevention occur throughout the life span with programs to promote exercise, avoid smoking, and improve nutrition. New York must do all that it can to protect our grandmothers, mothers, sisters and daughters against a disease which is robbing them of their independence and compromising their quality of life, said Governor Pataki. The three regional Osteoporosis Resource Centers are located at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, the SUNY Health Science Center at Syracuse, and the Catholic Health System in Buffalo. The funds will help the organizations establish outreach campaigns, develop and distribute educational materials and provide health care professionals with training in the most current scientific information available on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.