Osteoporosis and Bone Health

Osteoporosis and Your Bone Health

Disclaimer: Amgen paid for my travel and hotel, but my views are my own.

I just returned from a conference called Aging Differently and I learned so much about osteoporosis and bone health. I want to share with you what I learned.

What do you know about your bone health and why should you care? Take a look at the following statistics and give them some thought. I bet you can find one (or more) that surprise you.

Your Bone Health

Now that you have seen the statistics, you have a better idea of why you should care about your bone health but in case you need another reason, let me tell you a true story about two women and their mothers.

The lovely woman in this picture with the awesome purple shoes (they don’t look purple here, but trust me, they were purple and they were stunning) is Mary Jo Wainwright, Executive Director, Bone Health Marketing at Amgen. Her mom had a bone density test and her score was so low she was at a very high risk of a fracture. It took a lot of convincing, but M. J. (as her friends and co-workers call her) finally talked her mother into getting a treatment plan from her doctor.

The blonde lady seated behind M. J. is Barbara Hannah Grufferman. She was our moderator at the Aging Differently conference. Barbara also has a personal connection to Oesteoporosis. Her mother was a vibrant, healthy woman one minute and then she fell and broke her hip. She has never been able to regain the strength and mobility she once had.

Some broken bones are life changing.

Bone breaks due to osteoporosis send more women over 55 in the U.S. to the hospital than heart attacks, strokes, or breast cancer. Osteoporosis is a chronic condition, and while there is no cure, there are steps patients can take to manage this disease.

The World Health Organization has declared Osteoporosis a public health crisis. At least 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, placing them at risk for fractures.

Bone Density Test

The way to find out if you are at risk is to ask your physician about a bone density test. It’s an easy, non-invasive test that is extremely important. The test, referred to as DXA, is critical to helping prevent osteoporotic fractures. My doctor recommended one to me at the age of 50 and I have had two now. Compared to a lot of the screenings I’ve had, this one is a piece of cake!

Now that you know the importance of bone health, what are you waiting for? Talk to your doctor about getting a bone density test today!

Watch for more info about what you can do to take care of your bones all this week at NanaHood! Why? Because your bone health matters!

#AgingDifferentlyOsteoporosis #AmgenSponsoredSummit #Amgen