Joint Survey from National Osteoporosis
Foundation, HealthyWomen and Radius Health Sounds an Urgent Call to
Action for Women to Know Their Risk, Get the Facts
A fracture (bone break) in a postmenopausal woman, especially one
caused by falling from a standing position or less, is an indicator
of osteoporosis.1 But, too often this crucial connection gets
overlooked.
A startling 82 percent of postmenopausal women did not identify
such bone fractures as a possible risk factor for osteoporosis,
according to results from a new Harris Poll survey conducted
on behalf of Radius Health, in partnership with HealthyWomen and
the National Osteoporosis Foundation.2 The survey aimed to measure
osteoporosis knowledge of 1,012 postmenopausal women in the U.S.
ages 50 and older, including those who are diagnosed with
osteoporosis and those who are not.
“One in two women over age 50 will have a fracture caused by
osteoporosis in her remaining lifetime, but our survey found that a
majority of postmenopausal women are unaware fracture is a risk
factor for osteoporosis,” said Andrea Singer, MD, FACP, CCD,
clinical director and trustee of the National Osteoporosis
Foundation.3 “It is critical that postmenopausal women do not
dismiss seemingly insignificant fragility fractures as
‘clumsiness,’ but instead see them as an important indicator for
bone fragility, disease progression and the need for
intervention.”1
Women Underestimate Osteoporosis and Fracture
Significance
- Of postmenopausal women who have had a fracture from a standing
position or less, only 13 percent of those with osteoporosis and 2
percent not diagnosed recognized that it may be related to bone
health.2
- Only one-third (32 percent) of postmenopausal women who have
risk factors4 for developing osteoporosis actually realize or
believe they are at risk.2
- Approximately two-thirds of postmenopausal women (even those
diagnosed with osteoporosis and those at high risk for
osteoporosis) were more likely to be concerned with other
conditions, such as stroke (67 percent), heart attack (67 percent),
and breast cancer (65 percent) than osteoporosis (56 percent),2
even though more women over the age of 55 are hospitalized every
year in the U.S. for osteoporosis-related fractures than for heart
attacks, breast cancer, or strokes.5-6 7 8
- Of postmenopausal women, 43 percent with osteoporosis and 44
percent without thought clumsiness caused their most recent
fracture after falling from a standing position or less, without
recognizing that it is not normal to break a bone from these types
of falls.2
Patients and Healthcare Providers Require a Better
Dialogue
Research suggests only 2 in 10 older women in the U.S. who
suffer from a fracture are tested or treated for osteoporosis.9-10
11 12 13 Limited recognition and discussion about the link between
osteoporosis and fractures may be a reason why the disease is
underdiagnosed and undertreated.8
- In the survey, 96 percent of postmenopausal women who say they
have not been diagnosed with osteoporosis and have experienced a
fracture/break from falling from a standing position or less were
not told by their doctor it could be linked to osteoporosis.2
- One-third (33 percent) of postmenopausal women in the survey
with a fracture from falling from a standing position or less were
not referred for follow-up visits.2
“Once a person fractures due to osteoporosis, their risk of
another break or fracture increases.14 But, because no single
physician specialty treats the condition, it can be difficult to
spot and manage,” said Dr. Tara Allmen, gynecologist and nationally
certified menopause practitioner. “We need to ramp up the urgency
among postmenopausal women and healthcare providers so they will
proactively discuss and treat the condition, especially for women
at high risk for fracture.”
Misconceptions May Hinder Bone Health
Many younger postmenopausal women (in their 50s and 60s) often
mistakenly categorize osteoporosis as an unfortunate but largely
unavoidable part of aging, which is one of many “fractured truths”
about the disease. This belief, coupled with a lack of awareness
about the link between fractures and osteoporosis, may keep women
from being proactive about their bone health. The survey revealed
additional knowledge gaps:
- About 3 in 10 postmenopausal women (31 percent with
osteoporosis and 27 percent without) incorrectly believe that
“drinking milk or taking calcium supplements alone will prevent
osteoporosis fractures/breaks.”2
- About one-quarter (24 percent) of postmenopausal women
incorrectly believe there is no way to build new bone at their
age.2
- Three in 10 (30 percent) postmenopausal women with osteoporosis
mistakenly believe the risk of a fracture/break cannot be reduced
in women their age.2
“It’s very clear from our survey results that we still have
major osteoporosis knowledge gaps among postmenopausal women. Now
that we’ve identified their current understanding of the disease,
we can start to help fill the gaps through focused education,” said
HealthyWomen CEO Beth Battaglino. “It is time for women to get more
facts and take control of their bone health.”
To help fill these knowledge gaps, Radius Health launched the
“Fractured Truth” public education initiative that seeks to drive
understanding of the connection between fractures and osteoporosis,
and empower women to have better conversations with their
healthcare providers about their bone health.
“This is not your grandmother’s disease – osteoporosis can
affect women as young as age 50, many of whom live active lives and
may not be aware they are at risk,” said Dr. Lorraine Fitzpatrick,
Chief Medical Officer at Radius Health. “It is also known as a
‘silent disease,’ and the connection with fracture is often
overlooked, even in women who are diagnosed. We hope our education
initiative will break the silence and help women to understand
osteoporosis.”
For more information and educational resources, please visit
www.FracturedTruths.com. There is also a “Fractured Truth”
community on Facebook where postmenopausal women with osteoporosis
can learn from each other and get the resources they need to be
their own advocates: https://www.facebook.com/FracturedTruth/.
About the Survey
The survey was conducted online by Harris Poll on
behalf of Radius Health, Inc. in partnership with HealthyWomen
and the National Osteoporosis Foundation from March 31 – April 17,
2017 among 1,012 postmenopausal women living in the
U.S. aged 50+. Of 1,012 women, 501
women indicated they have been
diagnosed with osteoporosis. The survey also
included an oversample of 102 women who have osteoporosis
and a fragility fracture, defined as having a fractured/broken
bone from falling from standing position or less (even if on ice or
cement). These respondents were combined with the
women from the main sample who met the same criteria for
a total of 280 women with osteoporosis and a fragility fracture.
All relevant respondents (not just those who met the
qualifying criteria) were weighted to separate targets
from the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey for the
U.S. female age 50-64 and female age 65+ populations. The variables
used for weighting included age, education,
race/ethnicity, region, household income, household size, marital
status, employment status, and a propensity score, a
proprietary Harris methodology that allows for the reduction in the
bias inherent in self-selected online panels. Full
weighting information is available upon request.
Respondents for this survey were
selected among those who have agreed to participate in
Harris Poll surveys. Because the sample is based on those who
agreed to participate in the panel, no estimates of theoretical
sampling error can be calculated.
About Radius
Radius is a science-driven fully integrated biopharmaceutical
company that is committed to developing and commercializing
innovative therapeutics in the areas of osteoporosis, oncology and
endocrine diseases. For more information, please
visit www.radiuspharm.com.
About HealthyWomen
For nearly 30 years, HealthyWomen has inspired and empowered
millions of women to take a proactive role in their health. A
progressive and unique women's health not-for-profit, HealthyWomen
combines a 24/7 online health media platform with award-winning
education and advocacy campaigns. HealthyWomen's web destination
engages with readers and health care providers alike and provides
valuable health information that educates women and guides them
through the various ages and stages of life. For more information
on HealthyWomen, visit www.healthywomen.org
About the National Osteoporosis
Foundation
Established in 1984, the National Osteoporosis Foundation is the
nation’s leading health organization dedicated to preventing
osteoporosis and broken bones, promoting strong bones for life and
reducing human suffering through programs of awareness, education,
advocacy and research. For more information on the National
Osteoporosis Foundation, visit www.nof.org.
1 Anderson, PA, Reitman, C, Jeray KJ. Own the bone: Spine
practitioners’ opportunity in managing patients with fragility
fractures. SpineLine. 2015.
http://www.spineline-digital.org/spineline/july_august_2015?pg=14#pg14.
Accessed July 10, 2017.
2 Results from online survey conducted from March 31 - April 17,
2017 by Harris Poll on behalf of Radius Health in partnership with
HealthyWomen and the National Osteoporosis Foundation of 1,012
postmenopausal women living in the U.S. aged 50+.
3 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2004). Bone
Health and Osteoporosis: A Report of the Surgeon General.
Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office
of the Surgeon General.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK45513/. Accessed December 2,
2016.
4 At risk of osteoporosis is defined as having at least one of
the following: currently smoke cigarettes or have smoked cigarettes
within the last 5 years, drink 3 or more alcoholic beverages per
day, diagnosed with a postmenopausal fracture from falling from a
standing position or less, have a rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis,
experienced premature menopause, have a father/mother/sister
diagnosed with osteoporosis, current/past glucocorticoid use for
more than 3 months at a time.
5 Burge R, Dawson-Hughes B, Solomon DH, Wong JB, King A,
Tosteson A. Incidence and economic burden of osteoporosis-related
fractures in the United States, 2005-2025. J Bone Mineral Res.
2007;22(3):465-475.
6 Mozaffarian DM, Benjamin EJ, Go AS, et al; American Heart
Association Statistics Committee, Stroke Statistics Subcommittee.
Heart disease and stroke statistics 2016 update. Circulation.
2016;133(15):e38-e360..
7 National Cancer Institute. SEER stat fact sheets: female
breast cancer. http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html.
Accessed November 1, 2016.
8 Singer A, Exuzides A, Spangler L, et al. Burden of illness for
osteoporotic fractures compared with other serious diseases among
postmenopausal women in the United States. Mayo Clin Proc.
2015;90(1):53-62.
9 Cosman et al. Clinician’s Guide to Prevention and Treatment of
Osteoporosis.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4176573/. Accessed
January 2017.
10 Freedman et al. Treatment of osteoporosis: are physicians
missing an opportunity?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10954094. Accessed January
2017.
11 Andrare et al. Low frequency of treatment of osteoporosis
among postmenopausal women following a fracture.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14504118. Accessed January
2017.
12 Gunter et al. Management of osteoporosis in women aged 50 and
older with osteoporosis-related fractures in a managed care
population. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14577902. Accessed
January 2017.
13 Kanis et al. The Osteoporosis Treatment Gap.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jbmr.2301/pdf. Accessed
January 2017.
14 Harvey NC, Johansson H, Siggeirsdottir K, et
al. Imminent risk of major osteoporotic fracture after fracture.
Osteoporosis International. 2016;27 (suppl 1).
http://www.wco-iof-esceo.org/sites/all/files/wco16/WCO16-AbstractBook.pdf.
Accessed December 2, 2016.
Investor Contact:
Barbara Ryan
Email: bryan@radiuspharm.com
Phone: 203-274-2825
OR
Media Contact:
Becky Vonsiatsky
Email: bvonsiatsky@w2ogroup.com
Phone: 413-478-2003
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