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One out of 3 women and one out of 12 men suffer from . From an "old ladies disease", osteoporosis is now looked upon as a serious epidemic not only in Europe. You do not have to be old to suffer from osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis, often referred to as a silent disease, is characterized by low bone mass that leads to an increased risk of fracture. Bones most vulnerable to fracture are the hip, spine, and wrist.

About 28 million Americans -- primarily women -- have a severe and potentially disabling disease but may not know it until they break a bone.* A new screening for bone density, which is closely related to bone strength, is available to diagnose and treat osteoporosis before it becomes a crippling fact.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a decrease in bone mass and strength causing susceptibility to fractures. It is the major cause of bone fractures in postmenopausal women and older persons in general. Osteoporosis has no clear beginning, and until recently its first visible sign was a debilitating fracture of the hip, wrist, or vertebral bodies causing pain or deformity.

To get enough calcium for growing bones, each day you need to eat foods whose %Daily Value for calcium adds up to 120 percent. Because the amount of calcium in foods can vary, read the food label check the %DV for calcium in what you eat.

Diethylstilbestrol, or DES, a synthetic form of estrogen, was prescribed from the early 1940s until 1971 to help women with certain complications of pregnancy, primarily miscarriages. Use of DES declined in the 1960s after studies showed that it might not be effective in preventing pregnancy complications.

Infertility is a disease that affects the reproductive organs of both men and women. It impairs one of the body’s most basic functions: the ability to have children. Infertility affects about 6.1 million people in the United States alone; ten percent of the reproductive-age population-both men and women.

Osteoporosis is an enormous public health problem. Twenty-eight million Americans suffer from this disease, a condition which can cause crippling fractures. It is the major cause of disability among American women. However, while there is no cure for osteoporosis, it is important to remember that proper treatment can help stop further bone loss and prevent fractures.