Osteoporosis and You

Most of this information is from the National Osteoporosis Foundation Website. A great and easy to read book on the subject is Miriam Nelson's Strong Women, Strong Bones.

Breast Cancer gets all the press. That's why we think about it, have mammograms, and as a country have cut the death rate from this disease tremendously.

But, if you are a 50 year old woman, what are your mortality and morbidity threats? Breast Cancer doesn't make it to the top 6 (so keep having your mammograms).

Number one is heart disease, two is Lung Cancer (less women get it than breast cancer, but it's far more deadly), number 3 is stroke, the brain's form of heart disease, number four is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, mainly emphysema, and fifth is complications of accidents.

All of these diseases have a very preventable common cause: smoking. But I'm not getting on that horse right now.

I want to call your attention to number 5, because you might have assumed it was automobile related. Rarely, yes. But mostly, this category is filled with people who die from the complications of an osteoporosis related fracture, probably at the hip. Do you take as many steps to prevent and monitor for this disease as you do with breast cancer?

If you are a 50 year old woman the chance is 50-50 that your bones are already thinning. Your risk of developing full blown osteoporosis is higher than your combined risk for breast, uterine and cervical cancer. Half of all 50 year old women will have an osteoporosis related fracture in her lifetime. The most common fracture sites are spine (700,000/yr in US), wrist, and hip (300,000 a year in US). Sad fact: in the United States, the majority of osteoporosis is still diagnosed when someone breaks a bone.

What are the risk factors for osteoporosis? Family history, smoking, small frame, poor diet, including excessive "dieting" (in terms of Calcium and Vitamin D), use of steroid medication, excessive alcohol use and uh,oh, a sedentary lifestyle. The lifestyle (diet and exercise) factor is especially crucial at 2 times during our life: during adolescence, when potential bone density gain is the greatest, and during the first 3 to 5 years post menopause, when bone density losses can be the greatest.

Who doesn't lose their bone? People who drank milk (for teens, it is still the best source of Calcium and D) and were active. They have lots of bone "in the bank." And people who are exercising, especially weightlifting, during and after menopause and being mindful of their calcium and vitamin D intake. And sadly, these seem to be little known facts of life.

Can you change your own picture? Stay tuned, because I'm off for my own workout today!