FIVE STEPS TO BONE HEALTH AND OSTEOPOROSIS PREVENTION EAT RIGHT: Get your daily recommended amounts of Calcium and Vitamin D. EXERCISE: Engage in regular weight-bearing and muscle strengthening exercise. MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE: Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. TALK TO YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER: Talk to your healthcare provider about bone health. GET TESTED: Have a bone density test and take medication when appropriate.

Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break. If not prevented or if left untreated, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. These broken bones, also known as fractures, occur typically in the hip, spine, and wrist.

Any bone can be affected, but of special concern are fractures of the hip and spine. A hip fracture almost always requires hospitalization and major surgery. It can impair a person's ability to walk unassisted and may cause prolonged or permanent disability or even death. Spinal or vertebral fractures also have serious consequences, including loss of height, severe back pain, and deformity.

Millions of Americans are at risk. While women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease, men also suffer from osteoporosis.

Download the Osteoporosis: Can It Happen to You? risk factor questionnaire.

To receive the latest scientific information on osteoporosis and ideas on how to better cope with this disease, please consider joining the NOF Family. New members of the National Osteoporosis Foundation ($30) receive our quarterly newsletter, The Osteoporosis Report, and a copy of our 74-page comprehensive patient handbook, Boning Up on Osteoporosis. Several levels of health professional memberships are available. Join on-line today!

Download OSTEOPEDIA^TM : A Glossary of Commonly Used Terms in Osteoporosis

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