Preventive Services
Osteoporosis
As people grow older, osteoporosis becomes increasingly more common and important.
It is a condition that involves a reduction of bone mass and may cause bones to be
susceptible to fractures. More than 1 million osteoporosis-related fractures occur in
the U.S. each year. Most of these occur in post-menopausal women. However, loss of bone
mass may be prevented with a diet rich in calcium, sufficient physical activity such as
walking or other weight-bearing exercise, and not smoking. Osteoporosis may also be
treated with appropriate medications.
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition that involves a reduction in bone mass. Thus the bones may
become more fragile and more likely to break. Osteoporosis-related fractures commonly
occur in the hip, spine and wrist.
What is Medicare doing about Osteoporosis?
To develop appropriate awareness information for Medicare beneficiaries, the Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is working with a number of partners, including
the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Agency for Health Care Policy
and Research (AHCPR), the U.S. Preventive Service Task Force, the National Osteoporosis
Foundation (NOF) and the Texas Department of Health. This information will help inform
beneficiaries about the disease, screening, and treatment of osteoporosis.
What are the symptoms of Osteoporosis?
Symptoms may include fractures, loss of height, postural changes, pain, difficulty/loss
of mobility.
Who is at risk for osteoporosis?
Older postmenopausal women, individuals with low body weight, individuals who smoke
, individual with certain disorders such as parathyroid and thyroid disease or on
certain long-term medications such as steroids. Although the majority of cases occur
in older Caucasian or Asian women, osteoporosis may also occur in men and
African-American or Hispanic women.
For more information about what Medicare covers, look at our
frequently asked questions.
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