Global Study Shows That Majority of Women with Osteoporosis Do Not Consider Themselves at Higher Risk for...( Study of More Than 60000 Women Under...)

Study of More Than 60,000 Women Underscores Need for Better Understanding

of Implications and Risks Associated with Osteoporosis

MONTREAL, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Results from the Global Longitudinal study of Osteoporosis in Women (GLOW) showed that 55 percent of women diagnosed with osteoporosis do not believe they are at a higher risk of fractures than their peers. This latest study from GLOW included more than 60,000 women over age 55 and was presented today at the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) 30th Annual Meeting.

"Many women aren't making the connection between their osteoporosis diagnosis and the serious consequences of the disease, namely the risk of fractures and the disability associated with those fractures," said Ethel Siris, M.D., GLOW investigator and Director of the Toni Stabile Osteoporosis Center of the Columbia University Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York. "This study underscores the need for physicians to help patients better understand the meaning of an osteoporosis diagnosis, not just from a clinical perspective but also from the perspective of how it could potentially impact their lives."

By definition, osteoporosis causes bones to become fragile and therefore more likely to break. If left untreated, the disease can progress painlessly until a fracture occurs. One in two women over 50 will suffer an osteoporosis related fracture in their remaining lifetime,(1) potentially causing chronic pain, reduced mobility, loss of independence and increased risk of death.(2,3)

Results from a second GLOW study also presented at ASBMR indicated that experiencing even one fracture after the age of 45 years can reduce a woman's quality of life. This was observed for each of ten different fracture sites evaluated, namely the spine, ankle, arm, collarbone, hip, pelvis, rib, wrist, and upper and lower leg.

"Currently osteoporosis remains under-diagnosed a
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