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Prevention & Risk Factors
Your greatest asset for prevention is information. HealthYes! screenings
can identify abnormalities, will give you valuable information about
your bone density, and establish a baseline for you and your physician
to monitor.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task
Force recommends that all women age 65 & older routinely have
a Bone Mineral Density test to screen for osteoporosis. Higher risk
individuals should begin at age 60.
As part of the natural aging process our bones begin to become thinner,
however, lifestyle choices and the management of the following controllable
risk factors will put you well on your way to preventing or managing
osteoporosis.
Controllable Risk Factors:
- Smoking
If you smoke, quit. Smoking increase the rate at which bone density is lost.
- Eat a healthy diet
This includes plenty of fish, fruits and vegetables, olive oil, legumes, and
high fiber grains and breads. Calcium and Vitamin D supplements are important
for those not getting sufficient amounts through diet.
- Exercise regularly
Daily exercise, including weight bearing exercises, can help to maintain bone
density. In addition, weight bearing exercises help to build muscle and
improve balance.
- Limit alcohol
Although the precise amount that might be harmful to bone health is unclear,
most experts recommend that women avoid drinking more than one drink a
day and that men avoid more than two drinks a day.
Uncontrollable Risk Factors:
Other risk factors, unfortunately, are out of your control. Periodic screenings
can help to identify decreases in bone mineral density allowing time for proper
treatment.
- Age
The risk for osteoporosis increases with age. After the age of 30, our bones
begin to dissolve faster than new bones are made. Between the age 45 and
55, estrogen levels decrease in women and testosterone levels decrease in
men. Both are believed to increase the rate at which bone density is lost.
- Gender
Osteoporosis is more common among women with 55 percent of those 50 or older at
risk. Although it is a common perception that this is not a "man’s
diseases," approximately one in four men over the age of 50 will suffer an osteoporosis
related fracture in their lifetime.
- Body structure
Small framed or thin people are more likely to develop osteoporosis because
they have smaller bones and less bone mass.
- Race
Caucasians and people of Asian descent are more likely to develop osteoporosis
than those of other races.
- Family history
If an immediate family member (mother, father, sibling) has osteoporosis
or has, in the past, broken bones in minor incidents, you are more likely
to develop osteoporosis.
Like other diseases we screen for, Osteoporosis develops quietly over
time and is best prevented through early identification of risk.
This valuable information should be shared with your physician for
their use, in conjunction with other risk factors, to best manage
your bone health.
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