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2004 Bone Health and Osteoporosis Report
U.S. Surgeon General Office
According to a new report released on October 14, 2004 by Dr. Richard Carmona, the United States Surgeon General, half of Americans over age 50 by 2020 will be at risk for fractures from osteoporosis and low bone mass if no immediate action is taken by doctors, health systems, policymakers and those at risk for osteoporosis. Currently, 10 million Americans over the age of 50 have osteoporosis, the most common bone disease, while another 34 million have low bone mass and are at risk for osteoporosis. Each year, roughly one and a half million people suffer a bone fracture related to osteoporosis.
The Surgeon General's report is a call for national action to improve and maintain healthy bones. The findings were compiled in "Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A Report of the Surgeon General," the first ever Surgeon General's report on bone health. One of the most dangerous myths about osteoporosis is that only women need to worry about bone health. In fact, osteoporosis affects men and women of all races, and while bone weakness manifests in older Americans, strong bones begin in childhood.
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