The December issue of Consumer Reports on Health announces “Good News about Osteoporosis Meds.” A recent review of 294 studies completed since 2005 concluded that certain drugs to treat low bone density can reduce the risk of a spinal fracture by 40 to 60 percent in high risk women, and other fractures can be reduced by 20 to 40 percent.
View the mention in the December issue of Consumer Reports on Health
The release of an observational research study conducted by the Department of Surgical Sciences at Uppsala University in Sweden, and published recently in The BMJ, has raised fears that drinking three glasses of milk a day doesn’t lower your chances of suffering a broken bone and may even increase risk of an early death.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) cautions that the study has a number of severe limitations, as the study authors admit in the abstract.
“The study is only observational and the method used to assess diet is weak, particularly because the effects of total energy intake, BMI, physical activity and other lifestyle habits are not taken into account when assessing effect on fracture risk and overall mortality,” said Connie Weaver, PhD,  Distinguished Professor and Head, Department of Nutrition Sciences, Purdue University and NOF Trustee. “Milk is an excellent source of calcium as part of a well-balanced diet. The US Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming three cups of low or nonfat milk to ensure intake of several essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.”
NOF encourages people of all ages to ensure their calcium intake reaches recommended levels. Getting enough calcium and vitamin D is essential to building strong, dense bones when you’re young and to keeping them strong and healthy as you age.
NOF recommends a total of 1,000 mg of calcium from all sources every day for women under age 50, while women 50 and older need a total of 1,200 mg of calcium. Men 70 and younger need a total of 1,000 mg of calcium from all sources every day, while men older than 70 need a total of 1,200 mg of calcium.
Learn more about calcium and vitamin D and how you can keep your bones healthy.Â
NOF President, Dr. Robert Gagel’s response to a recent New York Times article regarding falls and fractures was selected for online publication. Read the full Letter to the Editor.
New survey findings released by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) for World Osteoporosis Day show that on average, 93 percent of nearly 1,200 adults surveyed are unaware how common osteoporotic fractures are in men. With one in five men age 50 or older affected by osteoporosis, the data confirm that while osteoporosis is common, serious and potentially life-threatening, it remains a vastly underestimated health issue. To address the issue of osteoporosis in men, the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) is teaming up with IOF to launch “Real Men Build Strength from Within,” a year long awareness campaign calling on men to embrace better bone health.
New data released by IOF earlier this month showed that one-third of all hip fractures worldwide occur in men, with mortality rates as high as 37 percent in the first year following fracture, making men twice as likely as women to die after a hip fracture. Named the “weaker sex” in terms of death and disability caused by osteoporosis, the condition is often undiagnosed and untreated in men following fracture, making them vulnerable to early death and disability regardless of fracture type. In fact, a U.S. study found that men were 50% less likely to receive medical treatment to prevent a fracture than women.
“It’s a myth that osteoporosis is only a woman’s disease,” said Amy Porter, CEO and Executive Director of NOF. “And with doctors not addressing the topic of bone health with their male patients, men don’t know they may be at risk for osteoporosis and are left vulnerable to broken bones and the pain and loss of independence that comes with osteoporosis.”
According to the survey, men in the 50+ age group who had a health check-up were 31% less likely than women of the same age to have any type of bone health assessment. The survey conducted by YouGov also revealed that:
Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to become weak and more likely to break. Both spine and hip fractures lead to higher death rates in men compared to women, yet fewer than 20% of men who fracture are being assessed or treated for osteoporosis. If healthcare professionals identified men with osteoporosis after their first bone break, it could dramatically reduce their risk of future fractures and early death.
“Estimates show that the lifetime risk of breaking a bone in men over age 50 is up to 27%, which is higher than the risk of developing prostrate cancer. Despite the high prevalence, too few resources are being invested in fracture prevention and too few men with risk factors are being screened by bone density measurements,” said Robert F. Gagel, M.D., president of the National Osteoporosis Foundation. “This lack of commitment to fracture prevention is a major failing of the U.S. healthcare system and leads to increased health care expenditures, morbidity and mortality. We have proven, cost-effective solutions available, like Fracture Liaison Services, that can help identify those at-risk for osteoporosis and protect them from the continuous cycle of broken bones.”
To learn more about World Osteoporosis Day and the survey results, visit www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org.
About the National Osteoporosis FoundationÂ
Established in 1984, the National Osteoporosis Foundation is the nation’s leading health organization dedicated to preventing osteoporosis and broken bones, promoting strong bones for life and reducing human suffering through programs of awareness, education, advocacy and research. For more information on the National Osteoporosis Foundation, visit www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org.
About the Survey
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. The total sample sizes were as follows: Australia (1000), Belgium (1000), Brazil (1001), China (1031), India (1045), Jordan (1001), Mexico (1032), South Africa (502), Spain (1029), United Arab Emirates (1026), United Kingdom (2424), USA (1167). Fieldwork was undertaken in July 2014*. The survey was carried out online. Figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults (aged 18+) in the respective country.
About World Osteoporosis DayWorld Osteoporosis Day is observed annually on 20 October, and marks a year-long campaign dedicated to raising global awareness of the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and related musculoskeletal diseases. www.worldosteoporosisday.org
About International Osteoporosis Foundation
The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) is the world’s largest NGO dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and related musculoskeletal diseases. IOF members, including 225 patient, medical and research societies, work together to make bone, joint and muscle health a worldwide health-care priority.www.iofbonehealth.org; www.facebook.com/iofbonehealth;Â www.twitter.com/iofbonehealth #LoveYourBones
The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) and National Bone Health Alliance (NBHA) Osteoporosis Quality Improvement Registry (QIR), developed in collaboration with CECity, Inc., as a Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) for the CMS Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) in the 2014 program year officially launched today at www.medconcert.com/FractureQIR.
The registry will allow eligible professionals (healthcare professionals who accept Medicare and have valid a National Provider Identifier) to use the Osteoporosis QIR to advance beyond annual PQRS reporting to continuous performance measurement, benchmarking, population health management (including patient care gap analysis) and practice improvement, while aligning and simplifying reporting for financial and professional incentive programs, including PQRS, Meaningful Use and Maintenance of Certification® (MOC). Â
The Osteoporosis QIR is the only osteoporosis disease focused QCDR and is designed to measure and report on health care quality and patient outcomes. NOF and NBHA identified a set of 14 measures (6 PQRS and 8 non-PQRS measures) that provide healthcare professionals with a way to satisfy increased reporting requirements for PQRS through meaningful, relevant quality improvement activities related to osteoporosis.
A key advantage of participating in PQRS through the Osteoporosis QIR is that CMS has permitted the use of not only PQRS-approved measures, but also new non-PQRS measures. This provides the opportunity for NOF and NBHA to develop and deploy new performance measures through the Osteoporosis QIR that the profession believes best represent how quality should be measured based on specialty, practice setting, or other criteria. Eligible providers may then use the new measures by participating in the Osteoporosis QIR to compare their performance to their peers; and benchmark their performance against measures that matter to their practice, for purposes of quality improvement, or for value based payment and public reporting.
Additional benefits for eligible professionals participating in the Osteoporosis QIR include:
As a QCDR, the Osteoporosis QIR meets CMS requirements for PQRS and QCDR reporting for the 2014 reporting year. Use of the Osteoporosis QIR provides a great opportunity for healthcare professionals to meet PQRS reporting requirements to avoid the PQRS penalty in 2016 and potentially be eligible for incentive payments under PQRS and the Physician Value-based Payment Modifier program for reporting year 2014.
For information on registration and fees for the Osteoporosis QIR, visit www.medconcert.com/FractureQIR  or contact Debbie Zeldow, MBA, Senior Director, Clinical Programs, National Bone Health Alliance at debbie.zeldow@nbha.org or 202-721-6363.
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About CECity®
CECity is the health care industry’s leading cloud-based provider of social enterprise platforms and services that address the “3 Ps” driven by healthcare reform: Pay for Value Reporting, Performance Improvement, and Professional Certification. CECity combines its scalable registry, quality measurement, and analytics platform with education and improvement interventions from world- class partners, to help all stakeholders answer the most important question, “How Do We Improve?” Leading organizations across healthcare, including physician practices, ACOs, health systems, health plans, pharmacies, certifying boards, professional societies and academic medical centers, count on CECity to power their high stake solutions for performance improvement, clinical quality registries, professional development, Maintenance of Certification, medication adherence, care coordination, population health informatics and value-based reporting.
About the National Bone Health Alliance
Established in late 2010, the National Bone Health Alliance is a public-private partnership that brings together the expertise and resources of various partners across a broad spectrum to promote bone health and prevent disease; improve diagnosis and treatment of bone disease; and enhance bone research, surveillance and evaluation. NBHA is a platform that allows all voices in the bone health community to work together around shared priorities and develop projects that can become reality through pooled funding. The 51 members of the Alliance (in addition to liaisons representing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institutes of Health and U.S. Food and Drug Administration) are working from a shared vision: to improve the overall health and quality of life of all Americans by enhancing their bone health. For more information on NBHA, visit www.nbha.org.
About the National Osteoporosis Foundation
Established in 1984, the National Osteoporosis Foundation is the nation’s leading health organization dedicated to preventing osteoporosis and broken bones, promoting strong bones for life and reducing human suffering through programs of awareness, education, advocacy and research. For more information on the National Osteoporosis Foundation, visit www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org.
NOF’s Clinician’s Guide to Prevention and Treatment of Osteoporosis has been published online by Osteoporosis International.
An original article published by the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research found that calcium supplementation with vitamin D does not appear to increase the risk of coronary heart disease or all-cause mortality in postmenopausal women.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) named new officers and members to its Board of Trustees during its annual meeting, the Interdisciplinary Symposium on Osteoporosis, held in New Orleans from April 23-26. Bringing their leadership skills and specialized backgrounds to NOF, the new board officers and members will greatly benefit the organization as it works to reduce the two million broken bones that occur each year due to osteoporosis.
About NOF’s New Leadership:
Judy Black, Chair has been an instrumental member of NOF’s Board of Trustees for nearly 10 years. In addition to her current term, which began in 2013, Ms. Black completed Board terms from 1995-2000 and from 2006-2009. Ms. Black helped move osteoporosis to the forefront of health policy, successfully lobbying Congress to hold a special hearing of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services to discuss osteoporosis and explore the federal government’s role in increasing research, education and prevention efforts to curb the rising toll of the disease. Ms. Black testified at the hearing on behalf of NOF and subsequently worked with lawmakers to secure appropriations for the Office of the Surgeon General to conduct a study on osteoporosis.
Ms. Black is currently a Policy Director in the Government Relations Department of Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber, and Schrek, LLP. Recognized as one of the premier Republican lobbyists in Washington, DC, Ms. Black also enjoys bipartisan relationships and respect throughout the federal government. For more than a decade, she has helped Fortune 500 companies, leading non-profits and industry trade groups navigate and participate in the public policy process. Prior to her current position, Ms. Black co-owned and operated Evans and Black Capitol Strategies, a DC-based legislative and lobbying firm, and held Senior Vice President positions with Ticketmaster and the International Council of Shopping Centers. Ms. Black served in the White House from 1987 to 1989 as the Special Assistant to President Reagan for Intergovernmental Affairs, serving as the liaison to the nation’s governors and other statewide elected officials.
Robert Gagel, M.D., President is a Professor of Medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Cell Biology at Baylor College of Medicine. A medical expert in Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 2 (MEN2) and medullary thyroid carcinoma, as well as bone biology and calcitonin, Dr. Gagel was appointed Professor and Chief of Endocrine Neoplasia and Hormonal Disorders at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in 1991, Chairman of the Department of Medical Specialties in 1995 and assumed his current position of Head, Division of Internal Medicine in 2001. He also developed and worked with Rolanette and Berdon Lawrence (also an NOF Board Member) to establish the Bone Program of Texas, a collaborative program of the Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, where he currently serves as Director.
Dr. Gagel and colleagues developed and validated strategies for early detection of medullary thyroid carcinoma and pheochromocytoma through a 15-year series of articles published in the New England Journal of Medicine. While subsequently pursuing a laboratory fellowship at Harvard Medical School and The Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Gagel was introduced to bone biology and the physiology of calcitonin, where he has made significant contributions, including studies of transcriptional regulation of the calcitonin gene, recognition of one of the elements that regulates alternative RNA processing of the calcitonin gene, and most recently the creation of a mouse in which the calcitonin gene has been deleted.
Kenneth Saag, M.D., Vice President is a Jane Knight Lowe Professor of Medicine in the Division of Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Medicine and Professor of Epidemiology at the UAB School of Public Health. He is the founding Director of the Deep South Musculoskeletal Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics, and Associate Director of the Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Center. Dr. Saag also serves as Director of the UAB Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education, a university-wide supported interdisciplinary research center. A practicing rheumatologist and outcomes researcher with expertise in musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and pharmacoepidemiology with a clinical focus on bone health, Dr. Saag is the only rheumatologist on NOF’s Board of Trustees. He is experienced in designing and conducting clinical trials in the therapeutics of MSD and in population-based investigations, working with large databases, and quality indicator development. Dr. Saag served on the FDA Arthritis Advisory Committee and co-chaired the American Medical Association Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement on Osteoporosis. He has also served on several NIH study sections, IOM Committees and National Committees to develop arthritis and osteoporosis guidelines.
Ann Miller, M.D., Secretary has served on NOF’s Board of Trustees since 2008, contributing more than 20 years of biopharma marketing experience across many therapeutic areas and all phases of the product lifecycle. Dr. Miller received her BA and MD degrees from Duke University. Currently, she is VP, Marketing at Sanofi. She previously worked at Merck, Amgen and Eisai in roles of increasing responsibility in Business Unit management, Marketing, Business Development and Medical Affairs across a range of therapeutic areas, including osteoporosis.
About NOF’s New Trustees:
Barbara Hannah Grufferman, a nationally recognized expert on healthy and positive aging, is the author of the best-selling resource book, The Best of Everything After 50: The Experts’ Guide to Style, Sex, Health, Money and More. She serves as the chief on-air contributor for AARP, appearing regularly on the Today Show. Ms. Grufferman writes weekly columns for Huffington Post and AARP and is the Positive Living Editor for GLOWBeauty Magazine. In addition to the Today Show, she has also appeared on CBS’ The Early Show, Good Morning America Health, as well as numerous radio and Internet programs and also hosts the “Best of Everything After 50” video series on the AARP You Tube Channel where she offers tips on fitness, health, nutrition, style, sex and more. Ms. Grufferman received NOF’s Generations of Strength Award in 2012 for her outspoken support of positive and healthy aging in America and was named NOF’s first Bone Health Ambassador, a role in which she uses her positive example, reach and influence to raise awareness for osteoporosis and the importance of building strong bones – at any age.
Mary G. McKinley, RN, MSN, CCRN is a critical care nurse with more than 30 years experience. Married to Congressman David B. McKinley, Ms. McKinley works as a nursing consultant and resides at the couples’ home in Wheeling, West Virginia, while making frequent trips to Washington, DC. A graduate of West Virginia University, Ms. McKinley is a partner at the firm Critical Connections and is a Clinical Educator at Ohio Valley Medical Center. She is also the past President of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses and is a published author on nursing, critical care and health policy.
Robert S. Understein, CPA is President of the Government Transformation Initiative (GTI) and Manager of the Federal Sector Business Development Practice for McGladrey LLP in Washington, DC. His nearly 50-year career has focused on financial and tax planning, equity placements (real estate and communication properties), commercial real estate financing, and commercial real estate advisory services. Mr. Understein began his career working with Understein and Associates, a family owned business. As a CPA and high-end financial and tax planning firm in the Greater Metro Washington D.C. area, the firm’s clients were among the “Who’s Who” of business and political Washington in the late 60’s,  70’s and 80’s. After the practice was sold at the end of the 1980’s, Mr. Understein worked with large and mid-sized companies for the next 20 years. In June of 2010, he joined McGladrey as Manager of Business Development on a national level. He currently works with the firm and is transitioning to the Federal Sector Practice.
About the National Osteoporosis FoundationÂ
Established in 1984, the National Osteoporosis Foundation is the nation’s leading health organization dedicated to preventing osteoporosis and broken bones, promoting strong bones for life and reducing human suffering through programs of awareness, education, advocacy and research. For more information on the National Osteoporosis Foundation, visit www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org.
WASHINGTON, DC (June 2, 2014) — The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) today released updated prevalence data estimating that a total of 54 million U.S. adults age 50 and older are affected by osteoporosis and low bone mass. Recently published online by the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, the study, “The Recent Prevalence of Osteoporosis and Low Bone Mass in the United States Based on Bone Mineral Density at the Femoral Neck or Lumbar Spine,” includes the number of adults age 50 and over from the institutionalized and non-institutionalized population affected by osteoporosis and low bone mass and is an update to the prevalence data NOF released in 2013. Revealing that 10.2 million adults have osteoporosis and another 43.4 million have low bone mass, more than one-half of the total U.S. adult population is currently affected.
“This represents the most comprehensive and up to date information available describing the total number of U.S. adults with osteoporosis and low bone mass,” said Robert F. Gagel, M.D., president of the National Osteoporosis Foundation. “With 43 million adults at-risk for osteoporosis, it’s more important than ever to apply preventive measures early in life to protect those with low bone mass from developing osteoporosis.”
Assuming osteoporosis and low bone mass prevalence remain unchanged, the study projects that by 2020, the number of adults over age 50 with osteoporosis or low bone mass will grow from approximately 54 million to 64.4 million and by 2030, the number will increase to 71.2 million (a 29% increase from 2010); and it is anticipated that the number of fractures will grow proportionally.
“This disease causes an estimated two million broken bones each year and often results in immobility, pain, placement in a nursing home, isolation and other health problems, said Amy Porter, executive director and CEO of NOF. “Medicare (our tax dollars) pays for the cost for repair of 80 percent of broken bones that occur because of osteoporosis; these costs make osteoporosis the 10th ranked major illness among the top 5% highest cost Medicare beneficiaries (12% of all beneficiaries and 18% of high costs beneficiaries). We have to continue our efforts to eradicate this disease.”
The data is one of the first to look at the burden of osteoporosis using NOF’s criteria for diagnosing osteoporosis based on bone mineral density (BMD) at the hip or spine. Prior to 2005, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) only measured BMD at the hip. Spine BMD was added in 2005, providing the opportunity to estimate the burden of osteoporosis using BMD at either the hip or spine. The study estimates that among adults age 50 years and older, 10.2 million have osteoporosis at the femoral neck or lumbar spine and an additional 43.4 million have low bone mass at either skeletal site, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis and broken bones.
The study applied prevalence estimates of osteoporosis and low bone mass from representative national data collected in NHANES to US Census population data to estimate the recent and future number of older individuals with osteoporosis and low bone mass. The study found that more women than men had both osteoporosis and low bone mass. An estimated 8.2 million women and 2.0 million men had osteoporosis and an additional 27.3 million women and 16.1 million men had low bone mass.
While most of the individuals with osteoporosis or low bone mass are non-Hispanic white women, a substantial number of men and women from other racial/ethnic groups also have osteoporosis and low bone mass. The study estimates that 7.7 million non-Hispanic White, 0.5 million non-Hispanic Black, and 0.6 million Mexican American adults have osteoporosis and another 33.8, 2.9, and 2.0 million have low bone mass, respectively.
The available information from NHANES did not allow an estimate of the prevalence of osteoporosis in Asian or Hispanic populations other than Mexican Americans. Also, the study estimates for Mexican Americans may not apply to other Hispanic groups.
The study also includes data showing state-specific prevalence of osteoporosis and low bone mass. Please see the NOF Prevalence Map for a full breakdown of the data by state.
About the National Osteoporosis Foundation Established in 1984, the National Osteoporosis Foundation is the nation’s leading health organization dedicated to preventing osteoporosis and broken bones, promoting strong bones for life and reducing human suffering through programs of awareness, education, advocacy and research. For more information on the National Osteoporosis Foundation, visit www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org.
The National Osteoporosis Foundation’s (NOF) annual meeting, the Interdisciplinary Symposium on Osteoporosis (ISO) 2014, taking place in New Orleans from April 23-26, has attracted the world’s top leaders to present the latest clinically-relevant and evidence-based information on the prevention, diagnosis and prevention of osteoporosis. New this year, the meeting will also include a training and certificate program for the fracture liaison service (FLS) model of care, a coordinated preventive care model that operates under the supervision of a bone health specialist and collaborates with the patient’s primary care physician.
Osteoporosis is responsible for approximately two million fractures every year, yet less than 25 percent of older women who suffer from a fracture are tested or treated for osteoporosis. The solution to changing the nearly 75 percent care gap in existence today is the widespread implementation of FLS programs. Over the past 15 years of operation in the U.S. and internationally, the FLS model of care has been proven to improve patient outcomes and significantly reduce the incidence of secondary fractures.
“There is a critical need for effective post-fracture prevention and care coordination programs in the U.S. to protect the estimated 54 million Americans over the age of 50 at risk for osteoporosis and broken bones,” said Robert Recker, M.D., president of the National Osteoporosis Foundation. “NOF’s comprehensive Fracture Prevention Curriculum will help spark widespread implementation of the FLS model of care, which we know is the key to reducing the two million bone breaks caused by osteoporosis every year.”
Additional ISO14 highlights include:
As part of the new FLS curriculum, NOF’s annual meeting begins with a pre-conference symposium covering FLS basics, database issues and practice concerns. A hands-on skill-building workshop and 13 plenaries and sessions are also included in the meeting’s FLS track. Participants who complete the entire track will receive a Certificate of Completion from NOF and acquire skills to address the most important business and structural challenges to improving patient outcomes through coordinated care programs.
The comprehensive FLS curriculum is designed to help doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, registered nurses and other healthcare professionals navigate the complicated coordination of care across hospitals, medical offices and multiple medical specialties in the community to ensure that fracture patients receive appropriate osteoporosis testing, diagnosis, treatment and ongoing support after they leave the hospital.
“By training healthcare professionals to implement an FLS model of care, we have the ability to spare millions of Americans the pain and suffering of broken bones and improve their quality of life,” said Amy Porter, executive director and CEO of NOF.
About the National Osteoporosis FoundationÂ
Established in 1984, the National Osteoporosis Foundation is the nation’s leading bone health organization dedicated to preventing osteoporosis and broken bones, promoting strong bones for life and reducing human suffering through programs of awareness, education, advocacy and research. For more information on the National Osteoporosis Foundation, visit www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org.
NOF has been resurveyed by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and awarded Accreditation with Commendation as a provider of continuing medical education for physicians and is a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.