Weak, fragile bones and susceptibility to fractures-these are some of the unpleasant consequences of the debilitating bone illness, osteoporosis. Currently, 10 million people suffer from osteoporosis in the United States and still another 3-4 million are vulnerable to developing the illness. The Surgeon General has named osteoporosis a national health risk and believed that by 2020 one in two Americans over age 50 is going to be at an increased risk for fractures from osteoporosis or low bone mass.
There are several risk factors associated with the development of osteoporosis, including inadequate levels of vitamin D, a nutrient essential to your body’s absorption of calcium. Recent research has discovered that over 70 percent of women over the age of 50 have low levels of vitamin D, and even women being treated for osteoporosis have low levels of the important vitamin. To handle the requirement for greater understanding about reduced levels of vitamin D, Spirit of Women Hospital Network has joined up with Dr. Marie Savard, an internationally recognized women’s health specialist, to start a brand new vitamin D risk assessment.
“Patients are frequently ignorant of the value of vitamin D in bone health and may not know they have low levels of vitamin D. Given its effect on calcium absorption, vitamin D inadequacy is an essential medical problem for women, particularly those more than 50 or those who’ve been identified as having osteoporosis,” said Dr. Savard.
In 2005, The American Medical Women’s Association issued tips that required a rise in vitamin D to 800-1,000 IU daily. The risk analysis will help women to actively tackle the adequacy of their vitamin D intake and will direct them toward a treatment option for osteoporosis to go over using their doctors.
“Women today want to be on top of their health to make sure their freedom and mobility for lifelong. The vitamin D risk analysis may help women recognize risk factors for osteoporosis and empower them to produce critical decisions about their bone health,” said Tanya Abreu, national director of Spirit of Women Hospital Network. “By spreading the word about the value of vitamin D, develop that women would understand among the risk factors for osteoporosis and take ACTION to prevent osteoporosis by speaking with their doctors”.
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