By Ryan Budisalich

Special to The North Jefferson News



Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bone health to gradually decline and leads to an increased possibility for millions of elderly Americans to experience a fracture.

If the disease is not prevented, osteoporosis can progress painlessly until a bone breaks. If the disease is left untreated, breaks can occur from minor falls or in serious cases from simple daily tasks or actions such as a sneeze.

Any bone in the body can be affected, but fractures most often occur in the hip, spine and wrist. Fractures of the hip usually require hospitalization and major surgery while spinal fractures can lead to loss of height, severe back pain and physical deformity.

Osteoporosis affects people of all races and an estimated 10 million Americans already have osteoporosis, while 34 million more have low bone mass placing these people at an increased risk for developing the disease.

These tremendous numbers make osteoporosis a major public health threat for our country. Women make up 80 percent of all osteoporosis cases as they are four times more likely than men to suffer from the disease.

However, men are also at risk of suffering from the disease as there is an estimated 2 million men with osteoporosis.

Certain people are more likely than others to develop osteoporosis. A few risk factors for developing the disease include: being female, older age, being small or thin, previous broken bones, an inactive lifestyle, smoking and alcohol abuse. Osteoporosis does not have any obvious signs or symptoms. People can not feel their bones getting weaker; they may not know they have osteoporosis until they break a bone.

Women in particular can lose a large percentage of their bone mass in the first few years following menopause. The good news is that osteoporosis is mostly preventable in the majority of people.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends five steps for improved bone health and osteoporosis prevention. These five steps include:

• getting the recommended daily amounts of calcium and vitamin D

• exercising daily

• avoiding smoking and excess alcohol

• talking to your doctor about your bones

• having a bone density test and taking medication

A lack of daily calcium is thought to contribute to the development of osteoporosis. Calcium is needed for nerves, muscles and the heart to work correctly.

Many women and young girls only consume about half of the daily needed calcium. A person over 50 needs 1,200 mg of calcium a day. A calcium supplement may be taken if enough calcium is not obtained through the foods eaten in a day.

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, without enough vitamin D the body takes its needed calcium from the bones. Vitamin D comes from the foods we eat and from sunlight.

A person over 50 needs 800-1000 IU of vitamin D every day. Vitamin D is found in egg yolks, fortified milk, saltwater fish, and is available as a supplement at your local pharmacy.

Exercise helps your bones maintain strength and is important for the prevention of osteoporosis. The best exercise for bones is weight-bearing exercise such as walking, dancing or jogging. Remember, it is always a good idea to check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program.

Talking to your doctor will help lead to a better understanding of your individual risk for osteoporosis. Your doctor can help you answer important questions such as how best prevent or treat osteoporosis, if you should engage in exercise, what your risk is for the disease, how much calcium is right for you and whether or not your bone density may be low.

A bone mineral density (BMD) test is the only way to diagnose osteoporosis and determine an individual’s risk of experiencing a broken bone. Since osteoporosis is primarily a silent disease, that does not have noticeable symptoms, early diagnosis is very important.

A BMD test measures bone mass and helps your doctor determine the best plan to prevent any further bone loss or a possible fracture. The test is easy, painless, accurate and noninvasive.

Medicare pays for annual bone density screening for persons receiving approved osteoporosis drug therapy, people receiving long-term steroids, people with thyroid and vertebral abnormalities and estrogen deficient women. It is never too late to start a prevention program.

For more information visit the National Osteoporosis Foundation at www.nof.org or speak with your doctor about your bone health.

Ryan Budisalich is a Pharm D candidate of Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy. The Pharmacy at Mt. Olive can be reached at 631-1201.