May is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention month, a good time to review the three easy, essential secrets for building and maintaining strong bones for a lifetime. "Osteoporosis is largely preventable," said Jean Martin, DNSC, RN, president of the Michigan Coalition for Bone Health. "Despite this fact, this disease and low bone mass affect nearly 44 million people, including 1.5 million in Michigan. We want people to know that a few, simple lifestyle changes can help them avoid this life-challenging disease."
Osteoporosis is defined simply as porous bones - bones that are not strong enough to support all the activity in which you are engaged. The condition has been described as a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences. It is most commonly seen in women (but not exclusively), those who have experienced a bone fracture during adulthood, smokers, those who are of slight build (small frame), and people in the middle-to-later stages of life (50 or older). It is not an inevitable part of aging.
Osteoporosis prevention should begin early in life. To promote strong bones, be sure to:
1) Make food choices that are rich in calcium and vitamin D. Good choices for calcium include low-fat dairy products (milk, cheese, and yogurt), broccoli, tofu, blackstrap molasses, and fortified foods like orange juice, cereals, and breakfast bars containing added calcium. Probably the best source of Vitamin D is 10 to 15 minutes of sunshine on the hands, arms, and face (without sunscreen) three times a week. Food sources of Vitamin D include fortified dairy products, egg yolks, saltwater fish, liver, and fortified foods with added Vitamin D.
2) Participate in weight-bearing physical activity and resistance training exercises. Weight-bearing activity includes walking, running, dancing, and soccer. Resistance exercises include lifting weights or using resistance bands, such as Dyna bands.
3) Choose a healthful lifestyle that excludes smoking and excessive alcohol.
Building strong bones occurs mostly during childhood and adolescence and is the best way to prevent osteoporosis. By the age of 20, about 98 percent of a woman's bone mass has been built. Entering adulthood with a strong skeleton is especially important because, within seven years of menopause, women may lose 20 percent of their bone mass.
Some people are surprised to learn about 30 percent of people with either osteoporosis or low bone mass are men. Those over 50 have a greater chance of having an osteoporosis-related break than of developing prostate cancer. Each year more than 80,000 men suffer a broken hip, and they are twice as likely to die during the year following that break than women.
The effects of osteoporosis and low bone mass are very costly. In 2001, the cost of treating a broken hip was estimated at $40,000. As much as $18 billion is spent nationwide each year for the medical costs related to osteoporotic bone fractures and low bone mass.
Martin said, "Another important part of staying healthy is communicating with your healthcare provider. Talk with him/her about bone health. Learn about your risk. Request a painless, quick bone density test."
A bone density test can detect osteoporosis, predict your chances of breaking a bone in the future, determine how quickly bone mass is being lost, or monitor the effects of medications and/or other treatment. She added, "By making healthful choices and working with your healthcare provider, your risk for this debilitating condition can be minimized."
Myers is an Educator for MSU Extension of Chippewa County.
