Medically Reviewed by W. Brad Campbell, MD

Can you name the first symptom of osteoporosis? Unfortunately, most people suffering from this disease of the bones don’t know they have it until there’s a fall, breaking a hip, arm, wrist or spine.

“Bones are not hard and lifeless. Much like our skin and hair, bones grow over the years,” says McLeod Gynecologist Brad Campbell, MD. “Bone gains the most mass during a person’s teens and 20’s. As people age, less and less mass is added to the bones. When the body needs calcium, it draws it from our bones. If this calcium is not replaced, bones weaken and osteoporosis results.”

WHO GETS OSTEOPOROSIS

This bone disease affects all ethnic groups (although more commonly whites and Asians), as well as men and women. One in two women over age 50 and one in six men will incur a fracture related to osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis fractures are painful, take a long time to heal and limit a person’s mobility and activity. So, preventing bone loss plays an important, ongoing role in life.

PREVENTING/TREATING BONE LOSS

Some relatively easy diet guidelines and exercise embody the easiest way to prevent losing bone mass. (And you’re never too old to start.)

• Make sure your body gets enough Calcium and Vitamin D. Many food products contain added Calcium and Vitamin D including milk, juices and breakfast cereals.
• Yogurt, spinach and beans represent good choices for adding calcium to your body.
• People under 70 need 600 so-called International Units (IUs) of Vitamin D a day. Here are some foods and their IU-equivalent:
  • Milk (8 oz.)  100
  • Orange Juice (1 cup)  137
  • Oatmeal  (per single serving packet)  150
  • Cheese (1 slice)  40
• Avoid foods that drain bone mass and calcium, such as caffeine, salty snacks and excessive alcohol.
• Exercise should focus on weight-bearing activities, including walking, jogging, hiking, tennis or even dancing.
• For women, who already have low bone density, some medications can reduce the risk of hip and spine fractures by nearly 50%. Several medications (Fosamax, Boniva, Actonel) can be taken orally. Prolia and Forteo are administered by injection. Reclast requires an annual IV injection. Some side effects have been reported from these drugs, although they appear to be very rare for an otherwise healthy woman. Ask your Gynecologist for further information.
• Other medications used to treat bone thinning include:
  • Calcitonin, a naturally occurring hormone.
  • Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators (SERMs).
  • Parathyroid Hormone Replacement.

DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM

A special X-ray – called a DEXA – offers a painless, quick method to tell if a woman’s bones put her in danger of experiencing osteoporosis. Most Gynecologists offer the DEXA test in their offices, which can be part of a woman’s annual exam. If the DEXA score indicates a progression toward bone thinning, the Gynecologist may develop a FRAX score. It incorporates information on family history of hip fracture, age, smoking, steroid use and arthritis to estimate your 10-year risk of a fracture.

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE

Ask your Gynecologist to conduct the DEXA Bone Density. This is especially important for women:

• Over age 65.
• Whose mother, grandmother, sisters or aunts have osteoporosis.
• Suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis, Type 1 Diabetes or Premature Menopause.
• With a small, thin body (under 127 pounds) or with Anorexia.
• Taking medications over a long period for seizures, cancer or under active thyroid.

Find a Gynecologist near you.

Sources include: McLeod Health, U.S. Department of Helath & Human Services, American College of Rheumatology, Harvard Health Publications, National Institutes of Health, National Osteoporosis Foundation