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What is osteoporosis? |
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Osteoporosis is a natural part of the aging process. With time it effects all women and men. With good dietary intake of calcium, Vitamin D, and minerals we maximize or “peak” our bone density in our 20’s. Most people do not have a large loss of bone calcium (what makes bones hard) until later in life (after age 50). Certain diseases and lifestyle habits can lessen bone density. Loss of estrogen at menopause can rapidly increase bone loss for some women. Genetics and the environment play a role as do eating disorders.
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What can I do to prevent or treat osteoporosis? |
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Testing and evaluation can help guide us to watch carefully those with a low peak bone mass. Family and other health factors might also accelerate bone loss after age 50 or post-menopausally. There are medications that can slow bone loss and there is a new medication that can actually help build bone in severe cases. But the best action is calcium, vitamin D, and excercise that stimulates the muscles to pull and stimulate bone growth (weight bearing). Exercise that helps balance and posture will decrease the frequency of fall and help us carry our bony skeleton in a more flexible manner. Stimulating muscles that aren’t used in our daily routine helps balance and support the overused ones.
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Action steps |
- Make an appointment to talk about your risks, and, if needed, how best to plan a prevention and treatment strategy.
- Don’t look at your options as a burden but rather another opportunity to care for the precious body we’ve been given (even if it no longer meets society’s mythical definition of precious!).
- Don’t wait to take action, particularly if you are over 50, going through menopause, or are post-menopausal.
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5/5/06
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