Low bone density kills 3600 Australian a year Bones can become fragile. An x-ray of a fracture. TWO thirds of Australians aged over 50 suffer from brittle bone disease, with new analysis putting the true cost of the hidden epidemic at nearly $3 billion a year. Every three minutes someone breaks a bone as a result of having low bone density, which was the underlying cause of death for over 3600 Australians last year. As the population ages the prevalence of the condition is growing and so is the cost, with new analysis showing brittle bone disease that predisposes people to fractures, such as osteoporosis, costs $2.7 billion a year in ambulance, hospital, home help and nursing home costs. Osteoporosis Australia wants the government to cut the fracture toll and cut the cost to taxpayers. The old adage 'prevention is better than cure' couldn't fit better with fragile bone diseases. If we can educate young people to maintain their bone health through life - getting enough sun, enough calcium and weight bearing exercise - we will go a long way to cutting down that big health bill," Osteoporosis Australia chairman John Hewson says. There were over 140,000 osteoporotic fractures in 2012 and treating them cost up to $33,500 per break. The true toll of the disease is its contribution to the death rate. Elderly people who suffer a fracture often go on to develop complications like pneumonia or infections that kill them. Hip fractures are the most deadly and contributed to the deaths of nearly 3000 Australians in 2012. While fewer people died from vertebral fractures caused by the disease these fractures had the highest home help costs. More than $12 million was spent on home help for those with a vertebral fracture and a further $6.6 was spent on meal and wheels. If nothing is done to halt the progress of the disease Osteoporosis Australia estimates it will cost $3.84 billion in 2022. To prevent osteoporosis Australians are urged to consume more calcium in their diet, perform more weight bearing exercise and get out in the sun for short periods (up to seven minutes in Summer) to boost their vitamin D levels. However, Osteoporosis Australia says more needs to be done once people have their first fracture. They want the government to fund a refracture prevention program that would provide follow up care of every Australian who has a fracture. We lag behind the rest of the world in re-fracture prevention. Almost all our comparator countries have a program in place that supports patients so they do not refracture and stops them falling through the gaps in the health system," Mr Hewson says. Bone density testing for women aged over 50 should be reimbursed by Medicare if they have risk fractures for osteoporosis. Currently Medicare only funds these tests for those aged over 70. And funding is needed for an awareness campaign. Mr Hewson said "it is time the nation took bone health seriously." He says the "staggering" cost of osteoporosis will only climb in coming decades if no action is taken. The organisation's medical director Professor Peter Ebeling says the disease can be managed to reduce fracture rates and can be prevented. "However, osteoporosis remains undiagnosed, even when a fracture occurs," he says