Osteoperosis affects so many. It is one of the most common ailments of aging women. It is very important to get bone density exams, but they are not as often provided as other routine examinations for againg populations. Unfortunatley, many people don't know they suffer osteoperosis until it has greatly depleted bone density. These could be prevented with adequate preventative care and more widespread bone mass measurement.

How few? A 2008 study using a 5 percent sample of all Medicare beneficiaries revealed that from 1999 to 2005 only 30 percent of women turning 65 (and 4 percent of men) had bone density tests. About two-thirds, by contrast, had gotten recent mammograms, even though an older woman’s risk of osteoporosis is higher than her risk of breast cancer. One reason that only a minority of older women get bone density testing is that osteoporosis is asymptomatic: People often don’t know they’re at risk until they break a bone, said Jeffrey Curtis, a rheumatologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who was lead author of that study.

The dangers of falling are almost exclusivley due to bone loss. It creates brittle bones, and a small stumble can quickly become very serious. Osteoperosis should, ideally, not be seen as a normal part of the aging process. It doesn't have to be. Preventative care is available, and hopefully will become more widely utilized.

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