a silent thief: what you need to know about osteoporosis and how it could affect you
5 minute read
the gradual loss of bone mineral density makes a person prone to what are called “fragility fractures” in the hip, spine, wrist, or shoulder, indicating that the bone has become fragile.
getty images
stay up to date on this topic
a silent thief is busy robbing atlantic canadians of their quality of life.
according to osteoporosis canada, many canadians can’t live the life they want because osteoporosis steals bone mass without giving any indication of doing so until a fracture occurs.
often, the fracture is the first warning sign of osteoporosis.
on its website, osteoporosis.ca, the national, charitable non-profit says people living with osteoporosis face a reduced quality of life, lowered self-esteem, reduction or loss of mobility, disfigurement, a lack of independence and in some cases, death.
osteoporosis canada says 22 per cent of women and 33 per cent of men who suffer a hip fracture will die within the following year.
what is osteoporosis?
osteoporosis, sometimes called “brittle bone disease,” takes years to develop without any warning symptoms.
the gradual loss of bone mineral density makes a person prone to what are called “fragility fractures” in the hip, spine, wrist, or shoulder, indicating that the bone has become fragile. a fragility fracture also increases a person’s risk for future fragility fractures.
carla purcell is the fracture liaison nurse coordinator at dartmouth general hospital and the clinical educator for the fracture liaison service in the province of nova scotia.
purcell said the fracture liaison service (fls) identifies patients aged 50-plus who have had fragility fractures to determine whether they need medication to strengthen their bones and prevent further fractures.
purcell said a fragility fracture would be considered an osteoporosis fracture, which happens from little or no trauma.
“we would say that it’s something that would be less than a fall from standing height at walking speed,” she explained.
“so, if somebody has a fall—you know, trips in their kitchen and falls down and breaks a bone—it doesn’t really matter how old you are, whether you’re 50 or 102, your bone should be able to withstand that amount of force. so, it’s minimal or low-impact trauma.”
advertisement
purcell said fractures caused by osteoporosis are an important health problem. about 2 million people in canada have osteoporosis, she says, and 80 per cent of fractures that occur in people over the age of 50 are related to osteoporosis.
“a fracture certainly decreases quality of life, and they’re also very, very expensive,” she said. “we have the opportunity to lower the risk of somebody’s fracture by roughly 50 per cent with the osteoporosis medications that we have.”
purcell said her job also focuses on preventing repeat fractures.
“my job is to prevent the next break, because we know that people who do break come back to see us with more breaks,” she said.
“for instance, about 50 per cent of people who have that devastating hip fracture have already had an osteoporosis break, and perhaps if we had intervened at that time, then we might have been able to prevent that hip fracture from happening.”
according to purcell, there is a huge care gap with osteoporosis because only about 20 per cent of people who need to be on medication for their bones ever receive it after a fracture.
“so the purpose of my role is to make sure that those people who do break get screened and treated. the 20 per cent care gap is pretty universal around the world,” she said.
“with fracture liaison service, we actually can reverse that by a lot.
it’s the only service that is proven to be not just cost-effective, but results in cost savings for the health-care system.”
what are the common myths?
osteoporosis canada wants the public to be aware of several myths about the disease, which can keep people from seeking the treatment they may need.
they include the myth that “anyone would have broken the bone if they fell as hard as i did.”
another is, “i am too old to take osteoporosis medicine. i won’t live long enough to work.”
advertisement
also, some people think, “as a male, i don’t think that i can get osteoporosis.”
beverly pimentel, a chronic disease registered nurse at cape breton regional hospital, addressed another myth, noting that at least one in five men will break a bone from osteoporosis, and one quarter of the 30,000 hip fractures caused by osteoporosis in canada are in men.
another startling statistic: 33 per cent of men will die in the first year after having the fracture, compared to 22 per cent of women.
“so, even despite the fact that more men die in the first year after hip fracture, they’re less likely to come to us to be processed or to receive treatment for osteoporosis after they do break a bone,” pimental said.
what can be done?
to help address osteoporosis, newfoundland and labrador health services (nlhs) established the breakfree fracture liaison service (fls) at st. clare’s mercy hospital in march 2024, funded by the brookfield chair. the first program was established at western memorial regional hospital in corner brook in january 2024.
st. clare’s mercy hospital serves as the primary facility for individuals with fragility hip fractures in the province, treating approximately 330 patients annually.
according to osteoporosis canada, this evidence highlights the importance of secondary fracture prevention through identifying patients predisposed to future fractures, conducting osteoporosis risk assessments and investigations, and initiating individual treatment regimens. the program also includes an educational emphasis on optimal nutrition for bone health and strategies for fall prevention.
dr. william moores is an orthopedic surgeon practicing at st. clare’s in st. john’s. dr. moores said the fls program is making a difference in patients’ lives and saving the health-care system money.
advertisement
“i think there’s very good evidence that they (fls) help decrease the overall risk of fractures from osteoporosis in the community. and i’d like to see the provincial government, or the federal government as well, provide some resources for this because the cost savings of preventing even several hip fractures pay for these types of positions to be in place,” said dr. moores.
what’s it like living with osteoporosis?
jackie herman, who lives in rural nova scotia, was diagnosed with osteoporosis in 2018 after an x-ray led to a bone mineral density test.
“i vividly remember the moment my family doctor told me i had osteoporosis. flooded with emotion, i couldn’t hold back my tears. i always ate well and did regular exercise, so how could this be? wasn’t i too young, at 57, to have osteoporosis? i felt angry, scared—completely overwhelmed,” herman said.
herman’s doctor suggested she visit the osteoporosis canada website to learn more about the disease.
“so, i came home and climbed into my computer. i’ve been reading, listening, watching, and learning from it ever since,” herman said.
through her reading and learning from the experiences of others coping with the disease as part of an online support group facilitated by osteoporosis canada, herman said she has made lifestyle changes in areas such as diet and nutrition, exercise, and good posture.
“looking after my bones is now a part of my everyday life,” herman said.
more information is available at osteoporosiscanada.ca, which includes the know your risk quiz.
what are the clinical risk factors for osteoporosis?
- a previous fracture
- a parent who had a hip fracture
- smoking
- daily alcohol intake of three units
- taking prednisone for a long period
- a history of rheumatoid arthritis
this article was originally published in the st. john’s telegram on november 18, 2025.
share story
