Women's Health

Osteoperosis Statistics

This disease was unknown before 1940; if bone density is high before menopause and the rate of bone loss after menopause is slowed, the onset of a bone demineralization disease may not clinically appear until the individual is over 150 years old.

1986 statistics (in America)
> Every year, 200,000 osteoporotic women over the age of 45 fracture one or more bones
Of these, 40,000 die of complications;

> Fewer than 1/2 of all women who suffer a hip fracture regain normal function; 15% die shortly after their injury;

> 1980 study of 108 hip fracture patients, 81 of whom were women (J.C. Gallagher, clinical orthopedics and related research, vol. 140, p. 207, 1980);

> 41% were sent directly to a nursing home after the initial hospital stay.
The remaining 59% went home, went to another hospital or died.

> At the end of one year,
23% had been able to return home 11% had died.
60% remained in a nursing home.

Since 1986, there has been a great deal of media attention to osteoporosis. In addition, many women are receiving estrogen prescriptions to "prevent the development of osteoporosis." We would expect that the situation must be getting better, right?

Currently, at least 1.2 million women suffer fractures each year as a direct result of osteoporosis. (Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis, Dr. Alan R. Gaby 1994)

And, the situation is getting worse. "more than twice as many major fractures occur now, compared with thirty years ago, and this difference cannot be explained by the aging of the population." Ibid., p. x

OBVIOUSLY, THERE IS MORE TO THE STORY THAN WESTERN MEDICAL SCIENCE KNOWS.

Insufficient accumulation of bone mass in young adulthood: (Table Is adapted from Journal of American Dietetic Association, April 1986, Vol. 86, No. 4)

Soft Drinks and Calcium
Intake of calcium (as percentage of 1980 RDA) by non-users, low-users and high -users of soft dirnks in boys and girls ages 13 to 18

Group Calcium % RDA
Boys Non-users 108% 1200mg
Boys Low-users 94% 1200mg
Boys High-users 89% 1200mg
Girls Non-users 75% 1200mg
Girls Low-users 66% 1200mg
Girls High-users 59% 1200mg

75% of Low users: consume the median amount of soft drink for their age group, or less
High users: consume more than the median amount of soft drinks for their age group

Girls get less than the RDA no matter what their soft drink status. Women have the highest need for calcium (pregnancy). Soft drinks are high in phosphorus which leaches calcium out of the bones.

SKELETAL MASS
Genetically predetermined:

INCIDENCE OF OSTEOPOROSIS
Gender and Race Skeletal Density Fractures
White Women Least Most
Black Women Intermediate Intermediate
White Men Intermediate Intermediate
Black Men Most Least

Those at greatest. risk: Women of Northern European, British and Oriental descent

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