Osteoporosis Awareness & Prevention Month!

by | May 8, 2025 | Blog

With the arrival of May, not only do we welcome warmer weather but also the opportunity to improve our awareness of osteoporosis. The month of May is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, and the National Hispanic Council on Aging is thrilled to shed light on what can be a terrible inconvenience to older adults and their everyday lives.

If this is the first you’re hearing of it, osteoporosis is a bone disease, wherein one’s bones decrease in mass and density, compromising their structure and strength to be overall more fragile. The real trouble with osteoporosis is that it is considered a “silent” disease, presenting no symptoms until the patient breaks or fractures a bone. As such, awareness of osteoporosis, both in prevention and treatment, becomes absolutely paramount to many older adults, lest they be caught unprepared and only discover the disease once they have broken a bone.

First, let’s review whether you or someone you know may be in a group with particular risk. It’s fairly common knowledge amongst the medical community that white women have a particular risk of osteoporosis, however that often becomes a misconception that white women are the only ones who need watch out for it. Asian women also see higher rates of osteoporosis, and while African American and Hispanic American women see lower rates, they are still considered to be at “significant risk,” according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

Overall, women are at greater risk of osteoporosis compared to men. The 2017-2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that low bone mass, a precursor for osteoporosis, was prevalent in over 43.1% of adults aged 50 and over, with 51.5% of women having low bone mass, as opposed to just 33.5% of men. Likewise, the prevalence of fully realized osteoporosis was seen in 19.6% of women aged 50 and over, compared to just 4.4% of men of the same age group.

So, what can you do? As an older adult, and particularly for those at heightened risk like most women, scheduling a DXA scan is the most responsible thing you can do for your bone health. DXA scans, or dual x-ray absorptiometry scans, are used to measure the thickness of your bones. It’s a type of x-ray that is used primarily over the hip and spine, typically taking 15 to 20 minutes to complete. These scans are instrumental in determining the likelihood of future fractures, and your overall likelihood of developing, or receiving a diagnosis of, osteoporosis. From there, you and your healthcare provider can begin discussing treatments and ways to manage your bone-health, including methods of preventative care.

Stay tuned for a follow-up post on preventative care later this Osteoporosis Awareness & Prevention Month!

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