With spring in full bloom, Irish broadcasting legend Mary Kennedy is urging the women of Ireland to protect themselves against osteoporosis and take charge of their bone health today.
Known as the ‘Silent Disease,’ osteoporosis affects more than 300,000 people in Ireland.
Women are more likely than men to develop osteoporosis due to a drop in oestrogen levels as they approach menopause.
As a woman ages, her risk of osteoporosis increases – and 75% of fractures due to osteoporosis happen in people over the age of 65.
‘She Doesn’t Deserve a Break’
As part of the ‘She Doesn’t Deserve a Break’ campaign, Mary Kennedy and the Irish Osteoporosis Society are urging older women to make bone health their priority today.
Early detection is the key to successful bone health and the best way to protect yourself against osteoporosis is to talk to your doctor today.
Women over the age of 65 who have risk factors should also prioritise getting a DXA scan and begin thinking about their bone health in the same way they think about other health habits like breast check.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis develops slowly over several years, gradually weakening your bones, making them fragile and more likely to break.
Due to its silent and symptomless nature, the disease is often only diagnosed after a patient suffers a broken bone.
A broken bone in older age can really impact on quality of life and independence – with figures showing that one in five women die within 12 months of breaking a hip.
In Ireland, meanwhile, nearly seven out of 10 hip fractures happen to women.
It’s time for all of us to talk about osteoporosis.
By talking to your family, friends and loved ones – mothers, grandmothers, aunties and sisters – you can break the stigma around osteoporosis and show people that this common disease is treatable.
Talk to your doctor today or visit irishosteoporosis.ie to find out more.
“She doesn’t deserve a break…or a fracture. Neither do you. Prioritise your bone health”.
All information has been taken from the following source: Irish Osteoporosis Society: https://www.irishosteoporosis.ie/
IRL-NP-0324-80016
Date of preparation: April 2024
