“We have to make noise about this disease that we often only detect at the first fracture! On this World Osteoporosis Day, the Association Française de Lutte Anti-Rhumatismale (AFLAR) wants to encourage women to take charge of their bone health. “The aging of the bones is not inevitable and taking care of osteoporosis when the disease is at its beginnings, would make it possible to reduce its often dramatic consequences” insists the association which recommends offering patients a quick questionnaire of the risk of fracture at the same time as a prescription for mammography, which would make it possible to identify their risks of osteoporosis, during a consultation with the general practitioner.
In France, it is estimated that one in three postmenopausal women has osteoporosis, ie between 2 and 3 million women. “Furthermore, it is to be feared that the abandonment of hormonal treatments for menopause, associated with the increasing aging of the population, will result in an increase in the incidence of osteoporosis and in the number of fractures” emphasizes the association.
In France, each year, osteoporosis is responsible for: 51,000 hip fractures; between 40 and 65,000 vertebral fractures; approximately 35,000 wrist fractures; approximately 12,000 humerus fractures and 68,000 hospitalizations, 83% of which were in people over 75, and more than 40,000 stays in rehabilitation centers for an average duration of 43 days.
One year after a hip fracture, there is a loss of autonomy in 80% of patients, long-term disability in 30% of patients and death in 20 to 27% of patients.
Osteoporosis therefore weighs heavily in public health expenditure. For better screening of women at risk, Aflar proposes to simplify the reimbursement of bone densitometry (painless examination which makes it possible to measure the bone density and therefore to know the degree of solidity of the bones) and to authorize the reimbursement of this examination for all women over 60 years of age.
But while waiting to find out if you are at risk, we invite you to discover the 5 foods you need to put on the menu to keep bones strong.
