Debunking The Osteoporosis Myth

May 14, 2007
by: Sylvia Marten

Osteoporosis affects only women. Myth.

Osteoporosis affects only the elderly. Myth.

Osteoporosis is an inevitable part of aging. Myth.

I won't get osteoporosis. Myth?

This serious bone disease affects both women and men. In absolute terms, 8 million women and 2 million men in the U.S. are affected by osteoporosis, and another 34 million Americans have low bone mass (a precursor). The danger? Pain. Often chronic pain. Disfiguring dowager's hump. And possibly disability. Even death.

Osteoporosis is most prevalent in people over age 65. However, any postmenopausal woman is at risk, and menopause can start in a woman’s late 40s. For men, age too is the leading cause, but there are a host of other factors that can cause male osteoporosis in men younger than 65.

Aging and osteoporosis unequivocally do not go hand-in-hand. There are many things that you can proactively do – as children, as young adults, in your middle years – to prevent osteoporosis from ever happening. Even if it’s detected, osteoporosis can usually be managed (and potentially even reversed/reduced) with many of these same measures so it doesn’t become a serious problem.

While some of us are more at risk of developing osteoporosis than others, we are all at risk due to the fact that we get older every day. Coupled with the fact that osteoporosis (and resulting fractures) is one of the most under-diagnosed conditions out there, you could potentially be walking around with it and not even know. Better for everyone to assume they are at risk for osteoporosis and proactively take steps to prevent it from ever occurring.

• Reiterating what most people already know, here’s a snapshot of what you can do to prevent osteoporosis:
• Get adequate calcium and vitamin D. Latest guidelines, by age group, are here. In essence, this amounts to about 4 servings a day of calcium (milk, food or supplements) and several servings a day of vitamin D (food, sunshine, supplements).
• Do some kind of weight-bearing exercise for 30 minutes a day. Avoid leading a sedentary lifestyle – this is the enemy.
• Limit foods and activities believed to strip the bones or inhibit calcium absorption, such as smoking, alcohol, caffeine, and sodium.
• Tell your doctor that you want to prevent osteoporosis, and talk with him/her at every annual physical about steps you are taking to do so.
• Take osteoporosis medications as directed by your doctor, to prevent or slow the disease.

Bottom line: it’s your health, so take responsibility for preventing this very preventable condition.

This blog post was written in honor of National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, May 2007.

Posted by: Sylvia Marten

*Still loving my diet Cokes, but now adding one glass of skim milk to my dinner. Still loving Starbucks, but now I make it a nonfat latte.

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