Background Information on Osteoporosis

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. ³⁹

• On average, women lose 10 centimetres in height in later life ⁴⁰ .
• World-wide there was an estimated 1.5 million hip fractures in 2007 and it is estimated that this will rise to over 6 million in 2050 ⁴¹ .

• Over 50% of women and approximately 30% of men will suffer a fracture after the age of 60 because of osteoporosis.
• More than 3,000 New Zealanders break a hip each year. This figure is expected to rise to 4,800 in ten years time as our population ages.
• About a third of people with hip fractures die from fracture-related complications within a year.
• Another third of people with hip fractures never return home. Many who do lose their mobility and independence.
• More women are hospitalised with a hip fracture due to osteoporosis than through breast cancer.