Osteoporosis: why not prevent it?

Sunday, 22 March 2009 07:00

Osteoporosis is so common especially among women, that of the over 70s, 50 per cent have this bone wasting disease and 25 to 30 per cent will fracture or break a bone in their lifetime.

Women begin to lose bone mass from the age of 35. Until the menopause they are largely protected by the hormone, estrogen. At post-menopause however, bone loss may accelerate, by which time it may be too late to reverse the process. However, in the pre-osteoporotic state called osteopenia preventative lifestyle steps can be taken to arrest the process. Osteo is Latin meaning bone and "penia" is Greek for poverty.

Calcium is now known to be better absorbed in combination with other minerals, such as magnesium, boron and manganese as well as the vitamins D and B12. Dairy produce lacks this combination but there are other nutritionally packed sources such as seeds, almonds and green vegetables.

It is also essential to obtain daily vitamin D. Often it is difficult to obtain this from sunlight, especially in winter. For this reason it has been recommended that people should consider taking 2,000 to 3,000 IU of vitamin D daily.

For example, research has shown that it is better to prevent loss of calcium than to increase intake. Hence it is essential to avoid unnecessary drugs such as antidepressants. It was found in a 2003 study that elderly women taking these medications had a 70 per cent greater chance of breaking a hip than those who didn't. Smoking should be avoided too as it leaches calcium from the bones, and caffeine should be kept to a minimum for the same reason. But the most important positive impact people can make on their bone health is to exercise - any weight bearing activity will help including walking, aerobics, running and jogging. However those who have osteoporosis or osteopenia should discuss their exercise programme with their doctor in order to avoid fractures.

It is essential for women, especially those over 50, to ask to have regular bone density scans, especially if there is a family history of osteoporosis.

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