TRUE OR FALSE?

Latinas rarely get osteoporosis.

False.

Osteoporosis is very common among Latinas. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General reports that among Latinas living in the United States, osteoporosis is almost as common as it is in Caucasian women, the group most at risk.

TRUE OR FALSE?

Weakened bones caused by osteoporosis are just a part of getting older.

False.

TRUE OR FALSE?

Latinas rarely get osteoporosis.

False.

Osteoporosis is very common among Latinas. In fact, the U.S. Surgeon General reports that among Latinas living in the United States, osteoporosis is almost as common as it is in Caucasian women, the group most at risk.

TRUE OR FALSE?

Weakened bones caused by osteoporosis are just a part of getting older.

False.

People used to think that osteoporosis was an inevitable part of aging. As it turns out, though, osteoporosis is a disease you can do something about. It can be prevented, detected and treated.

Of Special Concern for Latinas

• Ten percent of Latinas have osteoporosis.
• Half of all Latinas older than 50 have low bone mass, which means their bones are getting weaker but they don’t yet have osteoporosis.
• Many Latinas are lactose intolerant, which can make it difficult to get enough calcium.
• Hip fractures among Latinas in the United States appear to be on the rise.

Many Latinas – perhaps more than half – are lactose intolerant, which means that you have trouble digesting milk. If you are lactose intolerant, you might be able to eat lactose-free dairy products or those with added lactase. Another option is to eat other calcium-rich foods and ones that have added calcium.

If you don’t get enough calcium from food, consider taking a multivitamin or a calcium supplement. If you are getting enough calcium from food, there is no need to take a calcium supplement.

Take steps now to protect your bones

There are many things you can do to prevent osteoporosis and broken bones. These include getting enough calcium and vitamin D every day, doing regular weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises and not smoking or drinking too much alcohol. Talk to your healthcare provider about your chance of getting osteoporosis and ask when you should have a bone density test. Take an osteoporosis medicine when it’s right for you.

Additional Related Topics

Having a BMD Test - information about bone density testing, and understanding what your results mean.

Vitamin D and Bone Health - information about vitamin D and how it relates to bone health.

Calcium and Bone Health - calcium recommendations.

Exercise for Healthy Bones - information about exercise for bone health.