Florence Henderson Urges Women To Take Action Against Osteoporosis (NAPS)—If you knew you had a 50 percent chance of breaking a bone—andthat it could make you dependent on a caretaker for your everyday needs—would you talk to your doctor about how to protect your bones? Surprisingly, many womenfail to take this simple step. According to a recent nationwide poll of 1,000 women, nearly 60 percent of American women over age 50 recognize that osteoporosis, a disease that can cause bones to weaken and break, is a serious risk to their overall health and well-being. Yet only one-third of the women have had a doctor measure the strength and condition of their bones. “It’s time for women to take action against boneloss,” says Florence Henderson, “Today Show” correspondent and former “Brady Bunch” mom, who was recently diagnosed with the disease. “By talking with their doctors, women can get a bone mineral density (BMD) test, establish a bone- healthy diet and exercise program, and if necessary, get an extra boost from a prescription medication that can help maketheir bones stronger and morefracture-resistant.” To help women turn their bone knowledge into action, Henderson recently joined forces with the National Speaking of Women’s Health Foundation, Lifetime Television and The Alliance for Better Bone Health to launch “Girlfriends’ Night In,” the nation’s first online health spa event. During the event, funded by an unrestricted educational grant from The Alliance for Better Bone Health, thousands of women went online to view the live Webcast from the famed Canyon Ranch Health Resort in Tucson, Arizona. Womenvisiting the site were able to participate in frank discussions on osteoporosis, sexuality and other women’s health issues and TV personality Florence Hen- derson is helping raise awareness of the potentially serious consequencesof osteoporosis. participate in an Actonel (risedronate sodium tablets) Healthy Bone Makeover. Understanding Osteoporosis According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, more than 50 million Americans may be affected by osteoporosis in the next century. Osteoporosis, which literally means “porous bone,” causes more than a million broken bones in the United States each year. Osteoporosis also can create a deformity of the spine or a curvature of the spine known as “dowager’s hump,” which indicates multiple spinal fractures, and the disease has serious consequences. About 66 percent of people who break their hip require supervision of some kind and can no longer lead an independent life, and nearly one in four people over age 50 who break their hip die within oneyear. How To Learn More To obtain a brochure on the Actonel Healthy Bone Makeover, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: The Healthy Bone Makeover, 1500 Broadway, 25th Floor, New York, NY 10036. ween eee eee eee eee ee OOo eee eee eee eee eee Actonel 5mg wasrecently approved in the United States for the treatment and prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) andglucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO) (those taking 7.5mg of prednisone or equivalent daily for chronic diseases). You should not take Actonel if you have low blood calcium, severe kidney disease or cannot standorsit for 30 minutes. Side effects are generally mild and may include stomach pain or upset, or constipation. Follow dosing instructions carefully. Stop taking Actonel and tell your doctor if you experience difficult or painful swallowing, chest pain, or severe or continuing heartburn. Please see additional information available at www.actonel.com.
