U.S. Hispanic Women Face Osteoporosis Epidemic Updated: 6/4/2008 11:30:29 PM Print Article Email Article           (HealthNewsDigest.com) - Osteoporosis is a disease that can be crippling, leaving bones brittle, weak and easily broken. There are already some 8 million women in the U.S. who suffer from osteoporosis* and experts say that number could soon skyrocket. She may not quite understand the language yet, or the technology behind the test, but Sandra Ramos knows the importance of a simple heel scan. “I’m told with time, my bones can get weaker,” says Ramos. If they are, a quick 5 minute heel scan can tell her. In many ways, Sandra is lucky. She never heard much about osteoporosis in her native Mexico, and experts fear millions more Hispanic women will not hear enough about it after settling in this country - leading to a serious health issue in the near future. “We are facing, as a country I think, a potential epidemic for osteoporosis if we don’t do something proactively,” says Kevin Evans, PhD at Ohio State University Medical Center. That’s just what Dr. Evans is doing. He’s conducting studies on hundreds of Hispanic women to see how brittle their bones might be. Treating broken bones in Hispanics due to osteoporosis already costs more than 750 million dollars a year in the U.S.* That number is expected to skyrocket to more than 2 billion dollars* unless programs like these can get the word out early about prevention. “We really want to see if we can do something to affect them building bone mass. Osteoporosis is considered a disease classically for people over the age of 50 or 60. We want to do something before they get there,” says Evans. He says Hispanic women are rarely included in studies looking at osteoporosis. By doing more heel scans, that might change, and so might their risk of falling to this crippling disease. Evans says another challenge is to get more calcium products into the Hispanic diet. Things like milk and broccoli have high calcium levels, but they are not staples in the diets of some Hispanics. *Osteoporosis Facts, National Osteoporosis Foundation, retrieved from http://www.nof.org/osteoporosis/diseasefacts.htm, May 2008 www.HealthNewsDigest.com Read Original Article © 2008 HealthnewsDigest.com Enter your ZIP code to compare the savings offered by the discount dental plans in your area. Take the first step toward a healthier smile and start saving today! > Find my dentist > Find a ZIP code             Additional Articles Know the Warning Signs for Type 1 Diabet... Sleep Better, Stress Less Ladies: 10 Tips for a Better Sex Life For Older Americans, Healthful Eating Ca... Try a Bleach Bath for Eczema Relief Always Designate Someone to Watch – Not ... Treat Yourself to a Picnic – Sans Salmon... Study Links Migraine Headaches to Reduce... Cells Use Import Machinery to Export The... Obama Administration Continues Naming St... Study Pinpoints Genetic Drivers of Lung ... The Problem With Self-help Books: Study ... Getting All Your Nutrients from Food — E... Tips On Foods That Improve Your Mood New Study Shows Many Unplanned Quit Smok... Marie Curie Tops Poll of the Most Inspir... Brain Malformations Significantly Associ... Ronald McDonald House Charities and McDo... Obesity Epidemic Increases, Mississippi ... Tips for Seniors to Stay Well in the Hot...

Search Plans & Dentists - F.A.Q.'s - Tell a Friend About Us - Bookmark This Page - Receive Our Newsletter - Return to Home Page