One bone condition becomes increasingly common as a person grows older. This is the thinning of the bone substance, so that the bone becomes more brittle and fractures more easily. The disease is called osteoporosis (or thinning bone). It is more common among women than men and it occurs earlier in life in women. You may break your forearm or, more seriously, fracture the neck of your thigh bone. Most of these fractures occur because you tripped over something in your home, or because you turned too suddenly and lost your balance. The disease can be checked by keeping active (which prevents the bones losing calcium) and by taking extra calcium, especially at night (as this is the time the calcified substance of the bone is lost). As well as these measures, avoid tripping! Make sure that your house has no loose carpets, that stairs are well lit and have hand-rails, and that you do not have little stools or tables scattered round. Make sure that you can get into and out of your shower or bath easily and safely, because more old people seem to fracture their hip in bathrooms than in other rooms.
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