Archive -- Fast Facts on Osteoporosis

	Highlights Fast Facts on Osteoporosis Milk Matters
	Fast Facts on Osteoporosis Source of information in part: The National Osteoporosis Foundation Definition: Osteoporosis or porous bone, is a disease characterized by low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, leading to bone fragility and an increased susceptibility to fractures of the hip, spine, and wrist. Prevalence: Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for more than 28 million Americans, 80 percent of who are women. In the U.S. today, 10 million individuals already have the disease and 18 million more have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis. 80% of those affected by osteoporosis are women. One out of every two women and one in eight men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. By age 75, one third of all men are affected by osteoporosis. While osteoporosis is often thought of as an older person's disease, it can strike at any age. Osteoporosis is responsible for 1.5 million fractures annually, including: - More than 300,000 hip fractures - 700,000 vertebral fractures - 200,000 wrist fractures - More than 300,000 fractures at other sites Cost: The estimated national direct expenditures (hospitals and nursing homes) for osteoporotic and associated fractures is $13.8 billion ($38,000/day)-and the cost is rising. Symptoms: Osteoporosis is often called the "silent disease" because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People may not know that they have osteoporosis until their bones become so weak that a sudden strain, bump, or fall causes a fracture or a vertebra to collapse. Risk Factors: Certain people are more likely to develop osteoporosis than others are. Factors that increase the likelihood of developing osteoporosis are called "risk factors." The following risk factors have been identified. Being female Thin and or small framed Advanced age A family history of osteoporosis Post-menopause, including early or surgically induced menopause Abnormal absence of menstrual periods (amenorrhea) Anorexia nervosa or bulimia A diet low in calcium An inactive lifestyle Cigarette smoking Excessive use of Alcohol Caucasian or Asian, although African Americans and Hispanic Americans are at significant risk as well. Detection: Specialized tests called bone density tests can measure bone density in various sites of the body. A bone density test can: Detect osteoporosis before a fracture occurs. Predict your chances of fracturing in the future. Determine your rate of bone loss and/or monitor the effects of treatment if the test is conducted at intervals of a year or more. Osteoporosis is often called the "silent disease" because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People may not know that they have osteoporosis until their bones become so weak that a sudden strain, bump, or fall causes a fracture or a vertebra to collapse. Prevention: Building strong bones, especially before the age of 30, can be the best defense against developing osteoporosis. It also is important to keep bones healthy throughout life. A comprehensive program that can help prevent osteoporosis includes: A balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D Weight-bearing exercises A healthy lifestyle with no smoking and limited alcohol intake, and Medication when appropriate. The National Osteoporosis Foundation is the nation's leading resource for patients, healthcare professionals, and organizations seeking up to date, medically sound information on the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis. Please contact them to receive an information packet about Osteoporosis. The National Osteoporosis Foundation P.O. Box 96616, Department MQ Washington, DC 20077-7456 www.nof.org web site Act Against Osteoporosis Phone 800-464-6700 to locate the Bone Density Machine closest to you.

	Milk Matters by Dr. Joseph O'Donnell Executive Director of California Dairy Research. Producers Proactive With On-farm Food Safety
	A few months ago I wrote about the importance of food safety. Without safe food nutrition and everything else related to the food product become irrelevant. I also touched on some of the research and training programs supported by dairymen that are in place and producing information critical to good management of herd health and food safety. Research, open communication channels with regulators and consumers are all important but what about the dairy farm itself? Do dairymen need new management programs focused on food safety? If so then what kind of programs? Questions like these are being addressed by a group of proactive dairymen known as the California Dairy Quality Assurance (CDQA) committee. These dairymen and many others recognize that with Uncle Sam out of the business of buying surplus product and international markets demanding documentation of attention of food safety on the farm. Also, domestic markets are getting more choosy since the competitive non dairy products continue their relentless challenge of offering attractive alternatives. The dairyman, now more than ever, is very much a part of the total marketing scheme for milk. One of the first things the dairymen realized is that for any on-farm food safety program to work it has to be constructed from the ground up. In other words, the dairymen themselves must provide the input upon which any program is designed. The obvious first question is what kind of shape are we in right now? Dairymen can't be doing too bad a job given the excellent record of providing safe product. But, no one has ever documented this. No one has ever formally surveyed the dairymen to learn just how committed everyone is to food safety and how that commitment gets translated into food safety management practices. So, step number one will be to survey all the dairymen in California with a questionnaire. The data from this questionnaire will be the first step in designing a program to meet the food safety management needs of the dairymen. The more dairymen who complete the questionnaire the better the data base. The second step will be to ask dairymen what they need to make the job of food safety management even more exacting and professional. The input from dairymen will be gained through focus groups of dairymen selected from across the state. This dairymen derived data bank will be merged with the data from the questionnaire to form the foundation for the program. When dairymen enter a milk processing plant they see stainless pipes going every which way, vats in every corner, control panels, valves, fillers and things that they have no clue as to what they do. Processing milk is a complex business and food safety during food processing is a complex business. When a processor sees a milk producing operation there are cows, heifers, calves, hospital pens, calving pens, milking parlors, waste management equipment, water management equipment, veterinarians, tankers, feed mixers and equipment for which he has not clue as to its function. Milking cows is a complex business and food safety during milk production and shipping is a complex business. At some point these two ends of the dairy industry will be joined in a continuous food safety program. When there is a break we all suffer no matter who made the mistake. When you hear about this program I urge you to get involved. Dairymen involvement is the only way it will work. Nothing less than consumer confidence in our products is at stake and a proactive food safety program is the best way to keep our customers confident and healthy from drinking wholesome, nutritious, safe milk. Source: The Western Dairyman Magazine--July 1997. The Western Dairyman. Phone: 800-934-7872 Special thanks to Shana Davis, E-mail: ShanaD@aol.com with The Western Dairyman magazine.
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