Focus on Osteoporosis for Falls Prevention Awareness Day Skip to main content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Menu Close Call 1-800-CEDARS-1 toggle search form Close Los Angeles, 23 September 2019 06:00 AM America/Los_Angeles Focus on Osteoporosis for Falls Prevention Awareness Day Kathleen Breda, MSN, is the lead nurse practitioner with the Geriatric Fracture Program in the Department of Orthopaedics at Cedars-Sinai. With more than a quarter of seniors in the U.S. falling each year, many risk breaking a brittle bone, according to the National Council on Aging, which today is marking Falls Prevention Awareness Day. And often, seniors don't realize why they are at risk. "The problem with osteoporosis is that people don't know they have it," said nurse practitioner Kathleen Breda, MSN, in the Department of Orthopaedics at Cedars-Sinai. "This disease makes bones brittle and more likely to break, but it doesn't stop you from doing things until you have a fracture." Suffering a broken bone can drastically change an older person's life, leading to hospitalizations, surgery, chronic pain and loss of independence. Fortunately, osteoporosis can be prevented and easily treated. In an effort to protect older adults, Breda recently launched free lectures on the risk of developing osteoporosis and what seniors can do about it. She demonstrates how the disease weakens bones using X-rays and a model skeleton. Breda helps attendees evaluate their own fall risk and screens them for osteoporosis using an ultrasound machine to determine if they need a further work up. " We want to help the growing population of older adults lead independent lives as long as they can. If they fall, we want them to be in the best shape possible so they can recover quickly and return to a vibrant life. Sonja Rosen, MD „ "We want to educate seniors so they don't hurt themselves or end up in the hospital," said Breda, who leads the Geriatric Fracture Program at Cedars-Sinai, optimizing care for patients over age 65 who have broken a bone. She gives seniors a list of steps they can take to defend themselves:Speak with your physician about your osteoporosis risk and any medications you might needEat a diet rich in calcium (sardines, dairy products, broccoli), which strengthens bones, as well as vitamin D (salmon, milk, yogurt), which gets calcium to the bonesAvoid smoking and limit alcohol consumption to one drink a dayExercise regularly doing weight-bearing activities, such as lifting weights to build core and leg muscles Lecture attendees can sign up for free exercise classes hosted by the Cedars-Sinai Geriatrics Program at local community centers. They include weightlifting, tai chi or advanced strength training. Developed by the Arthritis Foundation, these classes have been shown to decrease the risk of falling. "We want to help the growing population of older adults lead independent lives as long as they can," said Sonja Rosen, MD, chief of Geriatric Medicine at Cedars-Sinai. "If older adults fall, we want them to be in the best shape possible so they can recover quickly and return to a vibrant life." For more information about the free osteoporosis lecture series, call Cedars-Sinai Community Health & Education at 310-423-9581. For information about the exercise program, contact Katrina Rosales at 310-248-6242 or [email protected]. Read more on the Cedars-Sinai blog: Preventing Falls in Older Adults Related Stories RSS feed - Related Stories (opens in new window) View all headlines - Related Stories Back to Friday Night Lights for High School Football Player September 14, 2022 06:01 AM America/Los_Angeles As a senior at Burbank High School, Keith Kasitz has his future ahead of him. 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