How to protect yourself from weak bones and live life without limits – even as you age
Did you know that over 3 million people in the UK are living with osteoporosis, but very few people know they have it?
Well, that is, until they break a bone.
Every year 300,000 people suffer a fragility fracture (a broken bone resulting from a fall at only standing height or less), including over 70,000 hip fractures.
And In England and Wales, around 180,000 of the fractures presenting each year are the result of osteoporosis. This means that more than 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men over 50 are expected to break a bone at some point in the future. And as you just read, it affects way more women that it does men.
In fact, in the UK alone, up to 22 percent of women but less than 7 percent of men aged 50 years or older were estimated to have osteoporosis. Why do more women suffer from osteoporosis than men? There are several factors. But it all comes down to hormonal changes.
Women are more at risk of developing osteoporosis than men because the hormone changes that happen during the menopause directly affect bone density. The female hormone oestrogen is essential for healthy bones. After the menopause, oestrogen levels fall. This can lead to a rapid decrease in bone density, increasing your risk of breaks, trips and falls.
