Good to the Bone
Three things you didn't know about osteoporosis
Naturally you want healthy skin, healthy muscles, and a healthy heart and lungs. How about healthy bones? All of the framework supporting the rest of your body needs care and nurturing, too.
The stooped-over look that we often associate with old age isn't part of normal, healthy aging; it's often due to small fractures in the spine caused by a bone-thinning disease called osteoporosis. Or, the first sign of osteoporosis might be a broken hip from a fall, or a fractured wrist. The disease develops over time, and it happens in part because of the choices we make throughout our lives.
3 Little-Known Facts
Everyone-and that means everyone-is at risk for osteoporosis as they age, according to Theresa A. Guise, M.D., the director of the Osteoporosis Metabolic Bone Disease Clinic of the University of Virginia Health System and the Gerald D. Aurbach Professor of Endocrinology. "It's a silent disease," Guise explains. "There are no symptoms until you have a fracture, and once you have one, your risk for future fractures is much higher."
Women in particular need to protect their bone health-half of women over 50 will have an osteoporotic fracture. But did you know ...
1. Men and younger women get osteoporosis too. One in four men over age 50 experiences a bone fracture related to osteoporosis, making bone loss a bigger threat than prostate cancer. Men and women under 50 are also at risk. As recently as a dozen years ago, even many doctors were unaware of the risk to men.
2. Bone loss can result from more than just a lack of dairy in your diet. Dairy products are a great source of calcium, needed for building strong bones. But surprise-no matter how much calcium you take in through milk, yogurt or even supplements, you may not be getting all the protection you need. Your body also needs vitamin D to process the calcium, and the vitamin D levels in fortified milk aren't enough, research suggests. "One of the most important things people can do for their bones is to ensure they get adequate vitamin D," Guise stresses.
Many common medications also can contribute to bone loss; for example, blood thinners and glucocorticoid steroids (prescribed for asthma, arthritis and other ailments). Too much thyroid hormone can put a person at risk as well. Other osteoporosis risk factors include:
(for women) irregular menstrual periods or early menopause
- (for men) testosterone deficiency
- eating disorders
- smoking, excessive alcohol, or a sedentary lifestyle
- a family history of osteoporosis
- being very thin or having a small body frame.
3. Preventing and treating osteoporosis takes a multidisciplinary approach. Certain treatments such as cancer chemotherapy or organ transplant drugs also are known to contribute to bone loss. For this reason, a big part of Guise's job is to team up with other specialties in osteoporosis prevention and management. She also works with physical therapists in managing exercise programs, and helps patients to give themselves advanced osteoporosis medications.
Others are at her side, as well. "At the UVa Health System, we have six endocrinologists who specialize in bone-we live and breathe bone every day. Through our team approach and combined knowledge, we're able to improve the lives of many patients."
Boning Up
Here are some of the best steps anyone can take to keep their bones healthy for a lifetime, according to University of Virginia Health System's Theresa A. Guise, M.D.:
- Start now. You can begin to build more bone mass at any age. The best results come from exercising regularly and consuming enough calcium starting in childhood.
- Take vitamin D supplements. Guise recommends adults consume at least 1,200 units of vitamin D a day-three times the recommended daily allowance. Sunlight exposure triggers the skin to synthesize its own vitamin D, but sunscreen blocks the effect.
- Get 1,200-1,500 mg of calcium each day through food and supplements. Dairy products and canned fish with edible bones (sardines, salmon) are good food sources of calcium.
- Adopt a healthy lifestyle. Getting adequate physical activity, limiting alcohol, and not smoking are all important for protecting bone health.
- Consult your doctor. Ask if you're at risk for bone loss due to any medications you are taking or other factors.
If you are, consider requesting a bone density measurement to check for osteoporosis before symptoms can arise-health insurance often will cover the test. UVa Health System offers state-of-the-art, full-body DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) scans, which rely on low-dose X-rays to measure bone density.
- Follow your doctor's advice. Many medications and other treatments are effective in strengthening bone-but only if you stick with your prescription.
Bone Health Experts
To make an appointment with a UVa physician who specializes in bone health,
call 888-882-9892.