New Center for Osteoporosis Treatment, Research & Education
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital announced the completion of the Toni Stabile Osteoporosis Center, a new standard for treatment, research, and education relating to the disease. The Center, the largest in the New York City metropolitan area and one of the largest in the U.S., is made possible by a generous donation by the Madeline C. Stabile Foundation, named for the late sister of Toni Stabile.
The gift by Ms. Toni Stabile, an award-winning investigative journalist and advocate for persons with osteoporosis, established and endowed the new Center and created the Madeline C. Stabile Professorship. "The Toni Stabile Osteoporosis Center sets the highest standard for osteoporosis care," said Dr. Herbert Pardes, President and CEO of New York-Presbyterian Hospital. The outpatient center, which treats over 3,500 patients per year, includes a Fracture Intervention Program for patients who have recently sustained osteoporotic fractures, state-of-the-art bone densitometry equipment, including bone densitometry testing with dual energy x-ray absorption (DEXA), as well as a complete laboratory facility.
"The Toni Stabile Center is dedicated to treating every patient as an individual, with unique concerns and issues, and offers therapies tailored to each person's specific needs," said Dr. Ethel Siris, Director of the Toni Stabile Osteoporosis Center and Attending Physician at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and Madeline C. Stabile Professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. "As part of an individualized treatment regimen, patients are provided with state-of-the-art approved therapies, or they may choose to participate in clinical research opportunities with the latest and most innovative approaches to care. All treatment is directed by a team of world-class physicians who are international authorities on osteoporosis and are at the forefront of research on osteoporosis."
"Also central to the Center's mission are education and prevention," said Dr. Siris. Each year, the Center performs over 8,500 bone density tests. Screenings are done for persons at risk for the disease, including post-menopausal women and older men, as well as patients with malabsorption disorders, those on glucocorticoids, and others. The Center also offers programs to educate physicians and the public about the disease.
Afflicting more than 25 million Americans, osteoporosis is a disorder in which bone becomes thinner, weaker, more porous, and much more susceptible to fracture. Osteoporosis is the major cause of spinal compression fractures and hip fractures, accounting for 1.5 million fractures each year.
Certain risk factors are associated with an increased likelihood of developing osteoporosis. These include: post-menopausal women; women with a family history of osteoporosis; women who are thin, petite, Caucasian, or Asian; women with diets deficient in calcium and vitamin D; men with low testosterone levels; persons with a history of fracture after age 50; persons over age 70; long-term smokers; persons who consume excess alcohol; persons who are immobilized for long periods; persons with certain medical conditions (kidney disease, malabsorption, overactive thyroid); and persons on certain medications (steroids, anti-seizure medications).#
For more information about the Toni Stabile Osteoporosis Center, please call Dr. Siris at (212) 305-2529.
