PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Wintry weather can often lead to falls and broken bones. But repeated broken bones can be a sign of an underlying issue.
More than 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, which is a thinning of the bones that can lead to fractures, according to Heather Schultz, fracture liaison for AtlantiCare.
Schultz said her program reaches out to those at risk in an effort to prevent another break, because after you suffer one fracture, you are at a much higher risk of breaking another bone.
"The most important things for the patient and the family to understand is they shouldn’t drink, they shouldn't smoke, they should practice weight-bearing exercises," she said. "They should also practice fall prevention and they should have a DEXA scan to see what their bone quality is like."
Other suggested lifestyle changes are diets rich in calcium and vitamin D.
According to Schultz, statistics show that adults over 60 who break a wrist are 17 times more likely to fracture a hip just one month later.
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