Understand your Fracture Risk
Did you know?
Fractures from osteoporosis are more common than heart attack, stroke and breast cancer combined.
The risk of having a major fracture from osteoporosis in Canada is among the highest in the world, in the top quarter. Each year, 30,000 Canadians break their hip, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Many more Canadians suffer osteoporotic fractures of the spine, wrist, shoulder and pelvis.
Risk factors include age, sex, vertebral compression fracture, fragility fracture after age 40, either parent has had a hip fracture, >3 months use of glucocorticoid drugs, medical conditions that inhibit absorption of nutrients and other medical conditions or medications that contribute to bone loss.
Over 80% of all fractures in people over 50 are caused by osteoporosis, and at least one in three women and one in five men will suffer a broken bone from osteoporosis during their lifetime.