Osteoporosis is not a risk of falling but the consequences of a fall with osteoporosis are serious.

Osteoporosis is a common disease in the UK. We are all potentially at risk of osteoporosis because of the bone loss that occurs as we get older.

• Osteoporotic fractures are a major cause of pain, disability and death
  
• 310,000 osteoporotic fractures occur each year
  
• 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 will sustain a spine, hip or wrist fracture
  
• 50% of hip fracture patients lose the ability to live independently
  
• Around 20% of hip fracture patients die within a year as a result of their fracture.

Hopefully these pages will provide you with information regarding osteoporosis, the causes, the risk factors, prevention and treatment which could help you.

What is osteoporosis?
What causes osteoporosis?
What are the risk factors for women?
What are the risk factors for men?
How to prevent and treat osteoporosis?

More in-depth information about osteoporosis and its treatment can be found on the National Osteoporosis Society website