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IOF: Osteoporosis Causes 70 Fractures a Minute, Leaving Millions Undiagnosed

New IOF figures spotlight a silent fracture burden, prompting calls in Mexico for routine DEXA screening.

Overview

  • IOF estimates equate to about 37 million osteoporotic fractures each year and roughly 500 million people affected worldwide, many without a diagnosis.
  • In Mexico, about one in three women and one in five men over 50 live with the disease, with demographic aging expected to raise future risk.
  • Post‑menopausal estrogen decline accelerates bone loss, and some women can lose up to 25% of bone mass within a decade after menopause, according to NIH and IMSS.
  • Experts highlight major care gaps: four in five patients do not link fractures to osteoporosis, more than 57% of those at risk go untreated, and DEXA is the gold‑standard test.
  • Prevention focuses on adequate calcium and vitamin D, moderate sun exposure, and weight‑bearing exercise, while RANK‑L–targeting monoclonal antibodies have shown fracture reductions up to 68%; clinicians also warn of underdiagnosis in men with about 20% dying in the first year after a hip fracture.