Make Sure Your Bones Are Strong

Are you doing what you can to keep your bones strong? Each year, more Americans are diagnosed with osteoporosis, a disease that causes bones to weaken and become more likely to break. Since you can’t feel your bones getting weaker, you may not even know that you have this “silent” disease until you suffer a broken bone.

Osteoporosis month is the perfect time to learn the facts, so you can protect your bones and keep them strong:

• Osteoporosis isn’t a normal part of aging.
• 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men over 50 will develop osteoporosis.
• Half of all adults over 50 are at risk for breaking a bone.
• You may be able to make your bones stronger.

Talk to your doctor about getting a bone mass measurement, which is the best way to know if you have or are at risk for osteoporosis. If you’re at risk, Medicare covers this test at least once every 24 months when ordered by your doctor or other qualified provider.

May is National Osteoporosis Month. Learn more from the National Osteoporosis Foundation about your risk for osteoporosis and how to prevent and treat it.