Global Impact Of Osteoporosis

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Osteoporosis is a malady that affects upwards of 30 million American women and approximately 10 million American men, aged 50 or above. Osteoporosis occurs when bones become thinner and more porous as one typically ages, leading to an increased risk for bone fractures due to the compromise of the structural integrity of the bones. Thus, the key characteristics are disintegration of the compositions of the bone and loss of bone density. Typically, the most common bones fractured due to osteoporosis is the wrist, hip, shoulder, and spine. Unfortunately, once a person suffers a fracture of the serious nature, such as in the hip, their life expectancy is shortened following said fracture. There are two types of osteoporosis, primary and secondary. …show more content…

Shockingly, the cost of osteoporosis on the economy of the United States is estimated to be around $17 billion dollars, with a whopping 27% of the cost being attributed to vertebra fractures alone, whilst hip fractures account for 19%. Women account for 71% of fractures, hence making up most of costs. An issue with said hip fractures is that roughly a quarter of hip fractures in osteoporosis patients pass away within a year, probably due to the lack of mobility and its associated complications such as mental health issues that could arise (Cauley, 2013). Furthermore, osteoporosis puts a strain on the limited bed space health care system as osteoporosis accounts for half a million hospital admittances, three million doctor visits, and roughly a million emergency department visits. What is more, once an osteoporosis patient suffers a fracture, they typically have great difficulty completing activities of daily living such as eating, dressing, and walking. Thus, round-the-clock care in nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, as well as home aids are necessary for these patients, only taxing their wallet a lot more as these services can easily bankrupt a family or an individual (Office of the Surgeon General , 2004) …show more content…

More needs to be done to screen for and prevent fractures in addition to improving the quality of life in those patients who might have suffered a fracture. In addition, legislation should be penned to lessen the strain of the economic impact of osteoporosis, as it does not seem fare to be bankrupt to care for a loved one. Unfortunately, with the way politics work, nothing will come of this until a politician with deep ties is impacted by osteoporosis. A prime example of this is the Mental Health Parity Act, which after being rejected time and time again by bipartisan politicians, was only signed into law after Senator Pete Dominici (R-NM)’s son was inflicted by mental illness and Dominici thought more should be done to help the families with loved ones suffering from mental illness, thus other big-name politicians joined in and the bill passed with flying colors. Hopefully, in the future more will be done for the sake of the millions who are inflicted and who will be inflicted by

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