Texas Osteoporosis Foundation

Statistics say that men are more likely to have osteoporosis than prostate cancer.  If I ask a man if he has had his prostate checked at his last exam, he will invariably tell me “Oh yes, we do that every year without fail.”  But if I ask that same man if he spoke with his doctor about the chances of him getting osteoporosis, much less engaging in a bone density scan to test his own current bone health, the answer has most often been answered with a ”No…was I supposed to?  Isn’t that something that older women get, not men?  Wouldn’t my doctor bring it up if it was important?”  

Just the simple act of bringing up your bone health with your physician allows you to have conversations about how you can guard against decreasing density and find out where you are on the spectrum (a bone scan) in the process.  Studies suggest that approximately one in two women and up to one in four men age 50 and older will break a bone due to osteoporosis.  And those who break an osteoporitic bone are rarely the same afterwards.

The disease of osteoporosis is devastating and most experts suggest it is highly treatable if not preventable.  At the Texas Osteoporosis Foundation we strive to make bone health an essential part of the doctor/patient dialogue. In our community, shifting the needle towards healthier bones across the board, is not impossible.  When it is discovered in nascent stages, osteoporosis is often treated with prescriptions of “take a Calcium and D Supplement” and get “little extra sunshine” - it is approachable at the front.  But left a silent factor in medical exams, it is a tragic disease  with devastating impact.  Our focus and presence revolves around bringing this simple conversation to the fore through education, research and advocacy - all in the drive to eradicate preventable suffering.