OSTEOPOROSIS: Some Basic Facts

• Osteoporosis is a condition of low bone mass which
  can lead to life-threatening fractures.
  
  
• Osteoporosis is a silent disease, sometimes going
  undetected for many years until a fracture occurs.
  
  
• About 25 million Americans are at risk for fractures,
  primarily because of fragile bones from osteoporosis.
  
  
• In the United States, nearly 1.5 million fractures
  occur each year, often with devastating consequences.
  
  
• A 50 year-old woman has up to a 50 percent
  chance of at least one major osteoporotic fracture
  during her remaining life.
  
  
• At least 20 percent of hip fracture patients die
  within six months from complications; more than
  50 percent never return to independent living.