Opinion

Opinion: Don’t Neglect Bone Health

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Half of women, and up to 25 percent of men, age 50 and older will experience a fracture in their lifetimes – but most relegate bone health to the bottom of age-related wellness concerns. May is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, and it's important to know that older adults are likely to focus on what they can do to prevent conditions like cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, or heart disease, believing those represent the greatest risks to quality of life and longevity with age. But that may be a mistake. Broken bones are a leading cause of hospitalizations among women aged 55 years or older, ahead of heart attacks, stroke, and breast cancer. Fractures significantly impact quality of life, causing pain, restricting mobility, and leaving many patients feeling depressed.

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Jamaica Plain People

Jamaica Plain Scientist at Forefront of Osteoporosis Research Shares Tips for Prevention

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May is National Osteoporosis Month, a time to think about preventing an often-overlooked disease that causes bone to become more fragile and more susceptible to fractures. Each year, Americans suffer 1.5 million fractures due to osteoporosis. Jamaica Plain resident Dr. Sarah Berry, Associate Director at the Musculoskeletal Research Center and Associate Scientist at Hebrew SeniorLife’s Hinda and Arthur Marcus Institute for Aging Research in Roslindale, is at the forefront of osteoporosis research. She shared information on osteoporosis and offered prevention tips. Q: What is something that might surprise the public about osteoporosis?

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