Contact:
Dee Ellison or Diane Shnitzler
National Osteoporosis Foundation
Phone: 202/223-2226

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WOMEN DELAY OSTEOPOROSIS DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT BECAUSE THEY CONFUSE BONE-THINNING DISEASE WITH ARTHRITIS

Research Findings Prompt NOF to Issue Public Health Advisory

WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 2, 1997) -- New research suggests that confusion
surrounding osteoporosis and arthritis is so extensive that many women
may be waiting for the swollen joints, stiffness and pain typically
associated with arthritis to occur before they become concerned about
osteoporosis, according to an urgently issued Public Health Advisory
from the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF). Since osteoporosis is
a symptomless, painless disease until a fracture occurs, the advisory
warns women against waiting for symptoms to develop before seeking a
diagnosis or discussing their risk for osteoporosis with their doctors.

-As health professionals, we need to do everything we can to make clear
distinctions between osteoporosis and arthritis,- says Robert Lindsay,
M.D., Ph.D., president of NOF and chief of internal medicine at Helen
Hayes Hospital in New York. -We+ve made significant progress in
preventing, diagnosing and treating osteoporosis, yet many women still
fail to take adequate steps to protect themselves from the disease and
its debilitating effects. We+re concerned that confusion surrounding
these two diseases leads many women to ignore their risk for
osteoporosis, thereby jeopardizing their long-term health, mobility and
independence.-

The newly issued Public Health Advisory suggests that in addition to
educating themselves about osteoporosis and assessing personal risk with
their doctors, women also should ask their physicians about the need for
a bone density measurement test, the only currently available means to
assess the state of the bones and potential risk for future fractures.

Although highly accurate in predicting fracture risk, bone density
measurements are underutilized perhaps because, as this new research
points out, women may be waiting for symptoms before taking the risk of
osteoporosis seriously. In general, six in ten women think that
osteoporosis has warning signs or symptoms when in fact, the disease
progresses without signs or symptoms until a fracture occurs. Of those
surveyed, 71 percent cited pain, half mentioned stiffness, and a third
referred to swollen joints, as symptoms of osteoporosis, but those are
actually symptoms of arthritis. In addition, half of the women surveyed
indicated they believe there are similar treatment approaches for
arthritis and osteoporosis, although the treatments are vastly
different. The research findings were compiled through a telephone
survey of 505 American women and have a margin of error of + 5
percentage points.

Osteoporosis is characterized by the exaggerated loss of bone mass and
by poor bone quality. Over time, bones become fragile and susceptible
to fractures. Arthritis, on the other hand, affects the joints and
surrounding tissue. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the
most common forms of arthritis and are entirely separate conditions from
osteoporosis. Yet, this new research shows that more than 40 percent of
women think that osteoporosis and osteoarthritis are related diseases,
possibly misled by the similar names.

-Since more than 28 million Americans either have or are at high risk
for osteoporosis, it is crucial for everyone -- women and men, young and
old -- to understand that osteoporosis is a disease that is an entirely
separate condition from osteoarthritis,- says Dr. Lindsay. -NOF urges
the American public to take action against this debilitating disease by
following the recommended steps outlined in the Public Health Advisory
issued today.-

Many individuals can prevent osteoporosis and treatments are available
to slow bone loss and prevent fractures caused by osteoporosis. If you
are diagnosed as having osteoporosis, your doctor will prescribe a
treatment program that is right for you.

-It is important for people who think they are at risk or who already
have osteoporosis to see a doctor and be properly diagnosed and treated,
since osteoporosis and arthritis have different causes and different
treatments,- added Sandra C. Raymond, executive director of NOF. -In
fact, in some cases the treatment for one of these diseases may cause or
worsen the other. For example, a common drug used for treating one form
of arthritis is corticosteroid medication, which can lead to
osteoporosis when used in high doses for long periods of time.-

At the same time, a program of regular, weight-bearing exercises, which
are highly beneficial for preventing osteoporosis and maintaining strong
bones, may worsen the condition of joints affected by osteoarthritis.

Osteoporosis: The -Silent- Disease
Osteoporosis-related fractures typically develop in the hip, spine and
wrist, but any bone can be affected. While the majority of sufferers of
this disease are women, 20 percent of those affected by osteoporosis are
men.

Osteoporosis has been considered a -silent- disease because of the way
it progresses without symptoms or pain until a fracture occurs.
Currently, this silent disease causes a total of 1.5 million fractures
every year in the United States. Osteoporosis leads annually to more
than half a million vertebral fractures, 300,000 hip fractures, 200,000
broken wrists and 300,000 fractures of other bones. An estimated 37,500
people die each year following fracture-related complications. The
disease also takes an enormous personal and economic toll -- with
estimated costs of nearly $14 billion annually for direct medical
treatment for osteoporotic fractures.

To provide additional information on the differences between
osteoporosis and arthritis, the National Osteoporosis Foundation has
published a new brochure, -What People With Arthritis Need to Know About
Osteoporosis.- Single copies are available at no charge by contacting
NOF, PO Box 96616, Dept. ART, Washington, DC, 20077-7456.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation is the nation+s only scientific and
medically based nonprofit, voluntary health agency exclusively dedicated
to reducing the widespread prevalence of osteoporosis through programs
of research, education and advocacy. The National Osteoporosis
Foundation has information to help people better understand, prevent,
and treat the disease. To stay informed about osteoporosis, contact the
National Osteoporosis Foundation at the above address.

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