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“This 73-year-old wife and grandmother suffered her first fracture 18 years ago and has had eight additional fractures since that time. Each caused tremendous pain and required long hospital stays and extended periods on medication…As bad as the actual fractures have been, it is the fear of additional fractures that may well have the largest impact on her life. As a result of this fear, she limits the time she spends with her grandchildren, as well as the types of activities she enjoys with them (three of her fractures occurred while she was playing with her grandchildren). She finds it impossible to lie down on her back or right side and difficult to get in and out of bed or a chair. She has had to give up dancing, one of her favorite activities, and she feels she has become a ‘drag’ on family members who must slow down to accommodate her limitations.”

United States Department of Health and Human Services. Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A report of the surgeon general. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General; 2004. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK45513/

Reference

Title
Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A report of the surgeon general
Publisher
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General
Publication Date
2004
Authors
United States Department of Health and Human Services
URL
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Categories

  • Cost of Disease
  • Human Burden

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