SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 26
(By Senators White, Walker, Boley, Minear, Scott and Oliverio)
Declaring Tuesday, March 3, 1998, "Osteoporosis Awareness Day".
Whereas, Osteoporosis is an age-related disease
characterized by decreased bone tissue and increased
susceptibility to fractures; and
Whereas, Osteoporosis can be prevented through adequate
nutrition and exercise in childhood and early adulthood.
Physical activity, proper nutrition and drug therapies can slow
the progression of osteoporosis in older adults who are already
affected; and
Whereas, In the United States, there are approximately 1.5
million fractures per year that are osteoporosis related:
300,000 hip fractures, 700,000 vertebral fractures, 250,000
distal forearm fractures and 250,000 fractures at other sites;
and
Whereas, One in every two women and one in every eight men
will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture at some time in
their lives. A woman's risk of a hip fracture is equal to her
combined risk of having breast, uterine or ovarian cancer; and
Whereas, In 1996, 42 percent of people aged 50 and older in
West Virginia either already had osteoporosis or were at risk for the disease due to low bone density. Over one half of all
state women in this age group, or approximately six out of every
ten, were estimated to be at risk for osteoporosis; and
Whereas, In 1996, over two thirds of all hospitalizations
for fractures among West Virginians aged 45 and older were due
to osteoporosis; and
Whereas, Over $42 million was billed in West Virginia in
1996 for hospitalizations due to osteoporosis fractures. This
represented 65 percent of total charges for all fractures among
persons aged 45 and older; and
Whereas, The National Osteoporosis Foundation predicts that
by 2015 a total of 227,256 women and 43,383 men in West Virginia
will have osteoporosis or low bone mass; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate:
That Tuesday, March 3, 1998, be declared "Osteoporosis
Awareness Day" in the state of West Virginia; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Senate encourages all citizens to educate themselves about this potentially devastating disease
in the hope of preventing as many cases as possible in the
future and in the hopes that greater awareness will result in
the development of a cure; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to
forward a copyies of this resolution to the Governor.