National Osteoporosis Foundation Announces Combined Federal Campaign

Washington, DC — The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) announces the launch of their Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). Federal employers raise money for nonprofit organizations annually via the Combined Federal Campaign.

You can help make bone health a reality and life long priority for all individuals

Washington, DC — The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) announces the launch of their Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). Federal employers raise money for nonprofit organizations annually via the Combined Federal Campaign.

You can help make bone health a reality and life long priority for all individuals by selecting the following code and listing:

CFC #:11043

Osteoporosis Foundation, National

Your support will help NOF continue its engagement in multiple awareness, advocacy, education and fundraising campaigns and programs to prevent and reduce the overall incidence of the crippling disease.

About 85-90% of adult bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and age 20 in boys. Building strong bones during childhood and adolescence can help to prevent osteoporosis later in life.

As part of its awareness and prevention efforts, the National Osteoporosis Foundation is engaged in a campaign that helps to educate young girls about the importance of building strong bones. Called Best Bones Forever for Tweens and Teens, the campaign targets girls ages 9 to 14 in their peak bone mass building years and encourages them to exercise with friends and get the recommended amount of calcium and vitamin D to build strong bones for life (http://www.nof.org/bbf.) NOF is the founding partner of this campaign, a program of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for an estimated 55 percent of the people 50 years of age and older. While women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease, men also suffer from osteoporosis.

NOF is a leader of a special legislative task force aimed at protecting patient access to osteoporosis testing through the reversal of drastic cuts in Medicare reimbursement for Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), the imaging procedure accepted as the gold standard for diagnosing osteoporosis.

According to estimated figures, osteoporosis was responsible for more than 2 million fractures in 2005. Approximately one in two women and one in four men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis related fracture in their remaining lifetime.

NOF helps patients and their families by providing educational materials and a strong network of support. NOF has recently released several new consumer educational pieces including a newly revised Boning Up, the signature publication on bone health and osteoporosis. NOF’s network of 87 support groups in 34 states provides a way for patients and their loved ones to learn more about osteoporosis while providing an opportunity to share information, feelings and goals with others in a similar situation. Individuals not living near a support group can join our online health community connecting patients, families, friends and caregivers for support and inspiration.

Your support helps NOF maintain and strengthen these program and partnerships, helping to make bone health a reality and life long priority for all individuals.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization solely dedicated to osteoporosis and bone health. NOF’s mission is to prevent osteoporosis and related fractures, to promote lifelong bone health, to help improve the lives of those affected by osteoporosis and to find a cure through programs of awareness, advocacy, public and health professional education and research. For more information, please log on to www.nof.org.