Building Healthy Bones

June 4, 2007

Getting started on simple habits can prevent osteoporosis

While some people may view osteoporosis as an inevitable byproduct of aging, healthy habits early on can help prevent the disease that causes bones to become brittle and break easily.

More than 10 million people in the U.S. are estimated to have the disease, and more than 30 million are thought to be at risk, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. While women are four times more likely to develop osteoporosis, the condition affects men as well.

“Life-long calcium intake, weight-bearing exercises and low-dose estrogen therapy during menopause will help to prevent bone loss,” says women’s health expert Donna Shoupe, professor of medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC).

The loss of estrogen during menopause leads to increased bone resorption, or breakdown, Shoupe says. Women can lose up to 20 percent of their bone mass in the first few years following menopause, and without treatment bone loss occurs and fractures are more common. Once a person develops the condition it can be treated with bisphosphonates that inhibit the loss of bone density or estrogen therapy.

“One of the challenges of treating osteoporosis is that there are no symptoms of the disease until a fracture occurs,” Shoupe says.

Fractures from osteoporosis are most common in the hip, vertebrae and wrist. The consequences of fractures, particularly for older patients, can be severe. Vertebral fractures cause back pain and a loss of height. Women with hip fractures often need a hip replacement, and about half of women who fracture their hips never walk again, Shoupe says.

Low calcium-intake, excessive alcohol consumption, family history and early menopause are all risk factors for osteoporosis, Shoupe explains. Bone density tests can be used to detect osteoporosis before a fracture occurs.

“Diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle are the best tools for preventing osteoporosis,” Shoupe says. “It’s never too early and it’s never too late to start prevention.”