Medicine: Building Up Brittle Bones

Estrogen and fluoride vs. osteoporosis

"Granny fell and broke her hip." When the word first passes around the family circle, younger members especially are not seriously concerned. But that cavalier attitude quickly changes in the tragic sequence of events that so often follows: circulatory problems, including blood clots, respiratory infections like pneumonia, severe muscle atrophy during prolonged immobilization. Each year about 200,000 older Americans suffer from this seemingly minor accident. As many as 40,000 die of complications within six months, and another 40,000 are so disabled that they require chronic care...

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