10 Tips for Preventing Osteoporosis on World Osteoporosis Day

October 20, 2009
by: Chris Maynard

While largely preventable and treatable, osteoporosis is called the “silent disease” because many people don’t know that their bones have thinned until the condition has progressed and/or led to back pain and bone fractures.

In a further effort to break the silence about the dangerous consequences of osteoporosis and to achieve more education and public policy for the prevention of this disease, October 20, 2009 has been designated World Osteoporosis Day (WOD).

For our part on WOD, Spine-health is pleased to offer these 10 tips on how patients can become more aware of osteoporosis today to avoid it from occurring later on in life.

Understand Osteoporosis Risk Factors

Roughly 10 million Americans suffer from osteoporosis, with women accounting for 80 percent of those patients, but men still at risk, especially when over the age of 50.

Various factors like age, gender, family history, race, body type, menstrual history, and personal lifestyle and history can make certain patients more susceptible to osteoporosis with aging. Where do you fit with these osteoporosis risk factors?

As we typically start to lose some bone density during our 30s, it’s important to have an advanced understanding of osteoporosis risk factors in order to start taking corrective and preventative steps in these early years.

Break Out Your Family Genes

Heredity – including genes specific to Vitamin-D receptors and estrogen-receptors – can indicate patients who are more likely to lose more bone mineral density (BMD) and suffer from osteoporosis in their 50s, 60s or 70s.

Additionally, a family history of osteoporosis and/or fracture on the mother’s side of the family can be early warning signs for some patients to be more proactive in how they exercise and eat. Understand the relationship between genetics and osteoporosis.

Test Your Bone Mineral Density

At age 30, most adults reach their peak bone mass, which refers to the body’s natural remodeling process during which more new bone is laid down than old bone is removed. After peak bone mass is reached, more bone is removed than replaced, making the bones more susceptible to osteoporosis.

A bone density test often involves the use of a quick and painless, dual energy X-ray absorption (DEXA) scan that can determine if a person has normal bone density, low bone mass, osteopenia (a precursor to osteoporosis) or osteoporosis. BMD testing is already recommended every 1-2 years for all women over 65, and for postmenopausal women under 65 and other patients with multiple osteoporosis risk factors.

Learn more about bone density testing, including its benefits, applications and costs.

Get Yourself Some Calcium

Calcium not only ensures bone strength but helps the heart, blood, muscles and nerves. When the body does not get enough calcium, it often resorts to the bones, stripping them of calcium and making them weaker.

A diet that focuses on more calcium intake – possibly through everyday foods like milk, yogurt, cheese, dark green vegetables, grains, beans, and some fish can go a long way towards ensuring bone strength and minimizing osteoporosis.

Now how much calcium is recommended for adults? See these calcium intake recommendations.

“D” Up – Meet Vitamin-D Requirements

Like calcium, vitamin D levels are often insufficient, despite playing a major role in the prevention of osteoporosis. Instead of being excreted, calcium is absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract and transferred from the kidneys to the bones (resorption) in large part due to vitamin D.

Knowing if you have a vitamin D deficiency and ensuring a diet that is rich in vitamin D – from fatty fish, liver, supplements or fortified foods like milk, orange juice and cereals – is another integral part of any plan for avoiding osteoporosis.

Make Other Changes to Your Diet

Avoid diets that are high in protein and/or sodium, both of which can increase the loss of calcium. Rather, start incorporating more leafy green vegetables, fruits, beans, peas, fish and other miscellaneous foods into your three daily meals.

Furthermore, limit how much cola/soda you drink, as studies have linked an increased likelihood of osteoporosis to drinking too much of these products. Substitute milk, juice or water as often as possible.

Put Your Weight into Exercising

Weight-bearing exercises that are performed on the feet and work the bones and muscles against gravity can help build bone mass and reduce the likelihood of osteoporosis-related fractures in high-risk areas like the spine, wrists and hips.

Regularly incorporating weight-bearing activities like jogging, walking, climbing the stairs, dancing, hiking and playing volleyball or tennis for 20-30 minutes, 3-4 times a week can not only be good for the bones but your overall physical and mental health.

Avoid Excessive Alcohol Use

While it isn’t exactly understood how alcohol affects bone, studies have shown that people who consume more than 3 ounces of alcohol (roughly 6 drinks) each day increase the likelihood of having more bone loss than those people with minimal alcohol intake.

Quit Smoking

In a similar light, smoking is another dangerous activity that can increase the risk of osteoporosis, specifically by reducing blood flow to the bones, slowing the production of bone-forming cells and impairing calcium absorption.

When considering that people who smoke are more likely to drink than nonsmokers and that people who drink are more likely to smoke than nondrinkers, it’s easy to see the relationship between smoking, drinking and osteoporosis.

Explore Osteoporosis-Fighting Medications with a Doctor

A variety of medications that vary by class, delivery mechanism and frequency exist not only to treat patients with osteoporosis but to prevent people with high risk factors from getting this disease. Fosamax, Boniva and Actonel are just a few examples of oral osteoporosis medications.

For other patients, osteoporosis injections that are taken once-a-day, once-a-week or once-a-year (such as Reclast®) may be more preferable for preventing spine fractures and hip fractures.

Considering that osteoporosis can lead to serious illnesses, spinal deformity, and even death in some cases, the need for such everyday awareness of this disease and its prevention should not be discounted, as made clear by the efforts of World Osteoporosis Day.

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