[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 64 (Monday, May 10, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S5074]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              OSTEOPOROSIS AWARENESS AND PREVENTION MONTH

 Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, I wish to speak about osteoporosis 
and to remind my colleagues that May is Osteoporosis Awareness and 
Prevention Month. Osteoporosis today is a major public health threat 
for an estimated 44 million Americans, or 55 percent of the population 
age 50 and over. At least ten million Americans are estimated to have 
osteoporosis and almost 34 million more are estimated to have low bone 
mass, placing them at increased risk for the disease.
  Of the 10 million Americans estimated to have osteoporosis, 20 
percent are men. Current statistics show that one in two women and one 
in four men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis -related fracture in 
her or his lifetime. To put this into perspective, as I look around 
this chamber, these statistics mean that more than 25 of our group of 
100 Senators could develop osteoporosis. And, while osteoporosis is 
thought of as an older person's disease, it strikes men and women of 
all ethnic groups at any age.
  The literal meaning of the word ``osteoporosis'' is ``porous bone.'' 
Osteoporosis is a devastating disease that causes bones to thin and 
break easily--especially bones in the hip, spine and wrist. It is known 
as a silent disease because most people don't even know that they have 
osteoporosis until after they have broken a bone.
  Not only are these bone fractures very painful and devastating to an 
individual's quality of life, but they can also be life-threatening, 
especially for older men. Nearly one in four hip fracture patients who 
are age 50 and over, and average of 24 percent, die in the year 
following their fracture. And the 80,000 men who suffer hip fractures 
each year are nearly twice as likely to die in the year after the 
fracture as women their age.
  Apart from the severe life-or-death and quality of life consequences 
that bone fractures can have, osteoporosis has become a major health 
care expense. In 2001, osteoporosis cost the country $17 billion, or 
$47 million a day in direct costs, according to a report of the 
National Osteoporosis Foundation, ``America's Bone Health: The State of 
Osteoporosis and Low Bone Mass in Our Nation,'' issued 2 years ago. Of 
course, those figures would be even higher today.
  The ramifications of osteoporosis go beyond our country's health care 
system and are truly international in scope. The World Health 
Organization considers osteoporosis to be the second leading health 
problem in the world.
  In spite of these alarming statistics, we are making progress and 
developing a growing awareness and commitment to confronting this 
disease. Twenty years ago, few people understood the terms 
``osteoporosis,'' and no medical therapy existed to treat the disease 
or help prevent its onset. Today, osteoporosis research and education 
are helping us make great strides. People are far better informed about 
the causes of this disease and steps to take for prevention and 
treatment.
  Building strong bones during childhood, adolescence and as young 
adults can help individuals avoid the disease later in life. Four 
simple steps can help prevent osteoporosis and optimize bone health: 
Eating a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D; doing weight-
bearing exercises on a regular basis; leading a healthy lifestyle 
without smoking or excessive alcohol; and having bone density tests and 
treating low bone mass, as recommended. Preventive measures and 
treatment--even after a fracture--will minimize further bone loss and 
help prevent future disability.
  Along those lines, I have introduced two bills, the Osteoporosis 
Federal Employee Health Benefits Standardization Act of 2003, S. 417, 
which ensures that coverage of bone mass measurements is provided under 
the Federal health benefits program, and the Medicare Osteoporosis 
Measurement Act of 2003, S. 419, which amends Medicare to include 
coverage of bone mass measurements under Medicare part B for all 
individuals, including estrogen-deficient women, at clinical risk for 
osteoporosis. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
legislation and working towards passage of these bills this year.
  Injuries and death from bone fractures can be greatly reduced with 
prevention, early detection, and the new forms of treatment that are 
now available. We should all take the initiative and keep one thought 
foremost in our minds: It's never too early or too late to 
start.

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