20 Important Osteoporosis Demographics

Osteoporosis is a health condition which causes bones to become weaker and more brittle. It can begin to form at any age, but typically affects women who are in the 60+ age demographic.

1 in 3 women in the world over the age of 50 will experience at least one osteoporotic fracture. 1 in 5 men in the same age demographic will experience the same issue.

By 2050, the worldwide incidence of hip fractures is expected to increase by 310% for men and by 240% for women. That’s why having an understanding of the Osteoporosis demographics now is so important. By taking steps today, the generations affected by this health condition in 2050 can take steps to reduce those percentages.

Who Is Affected by Osteoporosis?

• Nearly 75% of all hip, spinal, and distal forearm fractures happen to people who are 65 years of age or older.
• Overall, 61% of osteoporotic fractures occur in women, with a female-to-male ratio of 1.6/.
• 9 million new osteoporotic fractures happen every year. 1.6 million of them happen at the hip. Europe and the Americas account for 51% of all osteoporotic fractures that are documented annually.
• A 10% loss of bone mass in the vertebrae can double the risk of vertebral fractures, and similarly, a 10% loss of bone mass in the hip can result in a 2.5x greater risk of hip fracture.
• The combined lifetime risk for hip, forearm, and vertebral fractures coming to clinical attention is about 40%. This is virtually the same risk for cardiovascular disease in Europe and the Americas.
• People who suffer an osteoporotic fracture have an 86% risk of suffering a second fracture at some point in their lives.
• In women over 45 years of age, osteoporosis accounts for more days spent in hospital than many other diseases, including diabetes, myocardial infarction and breast cancer.

The problems which Osteoporosis can cause cannot be ignored. Many men and women just assume the personal risks of fractures because they believe it is already too late to do anything. Many fractures therefore go undiagnosed, which means many people are not receiving enough treatment for their disease. 80% of people who have already had at least one fracture are suspected to be neither identified or treated. With 200 million known people with Osteoporosis, the real number could be as high as 1 billion people.

How Osteoporosis Affects Men

• The overall mortality is about 20% in the first 12 months after hip fracture and is higher in men than women. Over the first 6 months, the mortality rate in men approximately doubled that in similarly aged women.
• The residual lifetime risk of experiencing an osteoporotic fracture in men over the age of 50 is up to 27%, higher than the lifetime risk of developing prostate cancer of 11.3%.
• In aging men, wrist fractures carry a higher absolute risk for hip fracture than spinal fractures in comparison to women.
• In 2025, the estimated number of hip fractures occurring worldwide in men will be similar to that observed in women in 1990.
• Up to 20% of men who receive just one osteoporotic fracture require long term nursing care.

Osteoporosis is often associated with women, but men have many growing risk factors as a gender demographic. Within the next decade, the numbers of men affected by this health condition are going to begin quickly catching up to what women have already been experiencing. In just 10 years, hip fractures have increased by 25%. Although only 1 out of 4 hip fractures occur in men, it still creates reduced mobility, chronic pain, and an increased risk for recurrent fractures. Now is the time to act.

How Race And Ethnicity Affect Osteoporosis Risks

• In the USA, about 45% of postmenopausal women have low bone density.
• The lifetime risk of a fracture of the hip, spine or forearm is 40% in white women and 13% in white men.
• African-Americans have fewer fractures than people of other races.
• In some countries, the rate of hip fractures is rising faster than the population. In Sweden, Sweden the number of people older than 50 doubled since 1950, but the number of hip fractures increased by 7x.
• Petite, thin women of any race or ethnicity are at greatest risk of developing osteoporosis as they have less bone mass to lose.
• Asians have a similar set of risk factors for Osteoporosis as Caucasians do.
• Hip fractures occur about twice as frequently in white women as compared to black women.

There are certain risk factors that apply to certain racial and ethnic groups, but there are some ways to prevent these risks. A healthy diet, regular exercise, and a lifestyle that isn’t sedentary can lower Osteoporosis development. By identifying those at-risk now and implementing treatment plans that can reduce these risks, there is a chance that the growing number of fractures can be reduced.