Osteoporosis; A Quiet Killer

  Osteoporosis is a disease in which your bones become thin and weak. It occurs mostly(but not exclusively) in women after menopause. This is because the female hormone estrogen helps women maintain bone strength. As estrogen levels decline, bone is lost. As bones weaken, they can become more easily broken. Fractures are more common in women than heart attacks, stroke an breast cancer combined. Below are some interesting (and frightening) statistics on fractures.

 A patient with osteoporotic hip fracture has a 25% chance of requiring long-term nursing home care.

50% of hip fracture victims will be disabled, many of them permanently.

Osteoporotic fractures increase the risk of death:

            Condition                                            Lifetime Risk*

            Hip fracture                                        2.8%

            Breast cancer                                      2.8%

            Endometrial cancer                              0.7%

* Lifetime risk of death for 50 yr. old, white, menopausal woman.

Today the cost to the US healthcare system associated with osteoporosis exceeds $ 13.8 billion annually. Each hip fracture currently represents approximately $ 32,428 in per patient expenditures.

Throughout life, your body loses bone. New bone grows to replace lost bone. The rate of new bone growth changes as you age. When you are young the amount of bone formed is greater than the amount lost , but as you grow older, your body is less able to stay ahead of the bone loss. Once too much bone is lost, you may develop osteoporosis and be at risk for fracture. We’ve all heard stories about someone falling and breaking a bone, sometimes those people broke the bone before they fell, the fracture caused the fall, not the other way around. This was due to osteoporosis.

What can you do? Protect yourself:

            * Assess your risk factors

            * Learn how bone changes over time

            * Make sure your diet has enough calcium and vitamin D

            * Get plenty of weight-bearing exercise

            * Ask your doctor about medications to treat osteoporosis

            * Prevent accidents by living safely

Assessing your risk factors: These are the most common risk factors, but not the only ones

            * Family history of osteoporosis ( or older relatives that have broken bones)

            * Fair skin? Thin or petite?

            * Have you had your ovaries removed or are you postmenopausal?

            * Do you take a lot of medications?

            * Smoke?

            * Excessive amounts of alcohol (2 or more drinks per day?) or caffeine ( 2 or more servings of coffee, black tea, soda per day?)

            * Is your diet high in protein?

            * Are physically inactive?

Staying active: Exercise plays an important part in maintaining bone mass no matter what your age. The amount and type of activity you do also plays a part in keeping your bones strong. Weight-bearing and resistance exercises, such as walking, dancing, bicycling and tennis are just a few of the activities that are good for your bones.

Tests to help you check your bone mass status:

A bone mineral density test (BMD) can help diagnose osteoporosis even in the early stages before broken bones happen. These tests are available through your healthcare provider and may come in the form of an ultrasound, a DEXA hip scan or many of a number of available tests to measure your bone density. Ask your doctor about ordering a test for you and discuss your risk factors and options.

Your Trinity Episcopal Health Committee is provides an opportunity for you to have a free wrist scan here a the church on designated Sundays. Check the Calendar of Events for next screening.

The Osteoporosis Institute of Santa Barbara, in cooperation with Direct Relief International and the St. Francis Parish Nursing Program would like to provide at risk woman ( or men) with a free wrist scan and educational opportunity to give you a chance to prevent this disease. The test is recommended for women over 40, not previously tested.

The wrist scan takes approximately 6 minutes, and uses very low doses of X-rays to take a picture of your wrist bones and provide you with a computer readout and evaluation by Dr. Guy Clark, along with recommendations for follow-up. The wrist scan is only a preliminary screening tool, not a definitive diagnostic tool, but can be useful information in assessing your risk and encouraging your healthcare provider to provide further testing , if warranted.

How can you sign up?

Call my voice mail and leave your name and phone number, whether you’ve ever been tested for osteoporosis. Please include a good time to return your call. I will call you with an appointment time and fill out a brief health history questionnaire over the phone.

Your results will be mailed to you within a few weeks after the test and you can call me for follow-up information, guidance, exercise plans etc. Please take advantage of this opportunity to prevent this serious disease! Call soon, we have space for 22 people.

            * My voice mail number is 568-5800 x 905

            by Michelle Arya, RN, Parish Nurse

* Information from Merck & Co. and The Osteoporosis Institute of Santa Barbara