5 Steps to Stronger Bones
Osteoporosis affects 25 million Americans each
year and most are post-menopausal women. It is
never too late to improve bone health. Here are
a few helpful hints.
Be Calcium Smart
Calcium is key to maintaining bone mass and if you are like most Americans,
you are not getting enough. Experts from the National Institutes of Health
recommend that women between 25 and 49 get 1,000 milligrams (mg.) of calcium;
women over 50 need 1,500 mg. or four to five glasses of skim milk, or the
equivalent.
When Diet Isn't Enough
Dr. Valerie Weil, internal medicine specialist, with Penn Health for Women,
recommends boosting your calcium intake with supplements. Calcium carbonate
should be taken with a meal to improve absorption. Calcium citrate can be
absorbed between meals. Your body can only absorb 500 mg. at a time, so spread
it out over several doses.
Exercise
Weight-bearing exercise maintains your bone mass. Aerobics, jogging, tennis
and even gardening are effective.
Early Detection
The DEXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) scan allows doctors to measure
bone mass and spot osteoporosis in the early stages. Testing is recommended
for women who:
- are menopausal and not on Hormone Replacement
Therapy (HRT)
- have suffered from hyperthyroidism or hyperparathyroid
disease
- have suffered a fracture or have a strong
family history of osteoporosis
- have lost 2 inches of height or greater
- have used steroids
Medication
Medications are used to treat osteoporosis and to prevent it when bone mass
is reduced but not yet low enough to be considered osteoporosis. In addition
to estrogen replacement therapy after the menopause, following are some medication
options. Ask your doctor what is best for you.
- Alendronate/Fosomax, the newest member of
a class of drugs known as bisphosphonates,
is currently approved for both prevention and
treatment of osteoporosis.
- Raloxifene, or Evista, is a member of the
new class of drugs known as SERMS. It has an
action similar to estrogen in bone and is approved
for the prevention of osteoporosis.
- Calcitonin has been available for years as
an injection and recently as a nasal spray.
It is used for the treatment of osteoporosis
of the spine in women who have been postmenopausal
for more than five years.
A word about Tamoxifen, another SERM, used in
the treatment and prevention of breast cancer.
While not used for osteoporosis, Tamoxifen acts
like estrogen in strengthening bone and has been
shown to prevent the bone loss associated with
decreased estrogen levels.
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