Osteoporosis is common. About 57 million Americans have osteoporosis and low bone mass. About 34 million are at risk for the disease. Estimates suggest that about half of all women older than 50, and up to one in four men, will break a bone because of osteoporosis

Since a woman has a greater than 50% chance of having a fracture, this is an important disease to evaluate and treat as early as possible. Osteoporosis is often called a silent disease because bone loss occurs without symptoms. The first symptom is often a fracture. By that time, a woman has often lost 30% or more of her bone mass. If evaluated at an early stage, patients can initiate prevention and treatment prior to the clinical manifestations of this silent disease

Our goal is to evaluate patients at an early stage to prevent the major complication of osteoporosis (fractures), and treat patients at the earliest possible stage to prevent additional disease manifestations

The food that you eat can affect your bones. Learning about the foods that are rich in calcium, vitamin D and other nutrients that are important for your bone health and overall health will help you make healthier food choices every day

If you eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of dairy, fish, fruits and vegetables, you should get enough of the nutrients you need every day, but if you’re not getting the recommended amount from food alone, you may need to complement your diet by taking multivitamins or supplements