NOF applauds Senator Gillibrand’s introduction of the Bone Health Promotion and Research Act of 2011

WASHINGTON — On Thursday, May 12, Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand of New York introduced in the Senate the “Bone Health Promotion and Research Act of 2011” (S. 966).  The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) applauds Senator Gillibrand for introducing this important and much needed legislation.  Currently, a comprehensive national bone health program does not exist and few states fund education, public awareness and prevention programs.  In addition, these state programs are threatened annually by declining state budgets. The Bone Health Promotion and Research Act of 2011 would address these issues by creating a National Bone Health Program.

A National Bone Health Program through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would 1) increase education and outreach initiatives on bone health and 2) provide state grants for comprehensive osteoporosis and related bone disease surveillance, control and prevention programs and activities. The Bone Health Promotion and Research Act of 2011 also would authorize grants and cooperative agreements to facilitate the collection, analysis and reporting of data on osteoporosis and related bone diseases and expand and intensify research activities of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on osteoporosis and related bone disease.

Osteoporosis affects people of all ages, ethnicities, and gender.  This disease places a significant burden on patients, their families, and society by causing loss of independence, disability, pain and death.  Although there have been notable advances in research to date and drugs are available to treat osteoporosis, there still is no cure for osteoporosis. 

In the U.S. today, 10 million individuals are estimated to have osteoporosis and another 34 million more are estimated to have low bone density, placing them at increased risk for the disease. In 2010, only 11 states reported funding for osteoporosis programs as compared with 22 states in 1998-99. This represents a 50 percent decrease in the number of states with funded osteoporosis education programs, and for most of these states, the dollars are trending downward.  This comes at a time when the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the U.S. population age 65 years and older will double from 2007 to 2030.

“With more than half of Americans age 50 and older at risk for fractures because of low bone density or osteoporosis, legislative efforts are urgently needed to strengthen our nation’s health.  Research, awareness and education about better bone health are extremely important to ensuring optimal health and wellness for people throughout the United States,” said Ethel S. Siris M.D., National Osteoporosis Foundation Board of Trustees Member and Madeline C. Stabile Professor of Clinical Medicine, Department of Medicine, College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. “We commend Senator Gillibrand for her vision and leadership in introducing this critical legislation.”

Amy Porter, NOF's Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, pledged the organization's full support. "We have an active grassroots network and will be encouraging our advocates to contact their Senators and ask them to co-sponsor this important bill," she stated.

About the National Osteoporosis Foundation

Established in 1984, the National Osteoporosis Foundation, a leading community-focused health organization, is dedicated to the prevention of osteoporosis and broken bones, the promotion of strong bones for life and the reduction of human suffering through programs of awareness, education, advocacy and research.