Eye on Health: Osteoporosis Prevention
Posted on Feb 27, 2012 | Comments (0)
Osteoporosis is a silent, progressive disease that causes bones to become thin and brittle, making them more likely to break. Ironically, bones naturally become thinner as you age, and as old bone dissolves and is absorbed into the body faster than new bone is made. As this happens, the bones lose minerals (such as calcium), heaviness (mass) and structure, which makes them weaker. Osteoporosis speeds up the process making it more severe. More than 28 million people in the U.S. are at risk of developing osteoporosis and up to 1.5 million fractures/year are attributable to osteoporosis. While there is no cure, the good news is this disease is largely preventable.
Here are four key steps:
1. Get your daily-recommended amounts of calcium and Vitamin D.
2. Engage in regular weight-bearing exercise.
3. Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol.
4. Talk to your doctor about bone health.
The most important item is to talk with your doctor to see if a bone density test is needed and whether calcium supplements should be taken along with a regular multivitamin. Also, the advice parents always give their children is appropriate for seniors as well: Drink Your Milk! Senior Helpers is in no way dispensing medical advice. The tips provided here are general knowledge sourced from WebMD. Senior Helpers is not attempting to diagnose, cure, or prevent osteoporosis with this post.