Osteoporosis: Pathways to Prevention

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Women's Wellness

Osteoporosis: Pathways to Prevention

From the January/February 2006 Issue

Good nutrition, regular exercise, and (in some cases) medical treatments help reduce your risk of bone-weakening osteoporosis. What you don't know can hurt you. Take the following true-or-false quiz to learn more about protecting your bones to help ensure a healthy, active lifestyle for years to come.

1. All adults are at risk for developing osteoporosis.

True. Anyone can develop weak and easily broken bones. Women who are fair-skinned, thin, calcium-deficient or postmenopausal are at increased risk. Smoking also increases risk.

2. Osteoporosis is usually preventable.

True. Strategies to avoid severe bone loss include eating a well-balanced diet that contains adequate calcium and vitamin D, taking supplements if needed, exercising regularly, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol.

3. Nagging back pain is the most common symptom of osteoporosis.

False. Bone loss occurs without symptoms. Osteoporosis usually progresses painlessly until a fracture occurs, usually in the hip, spine or wrist. Bone density tests can help prevent fractures before they occur.

4. Arthritis is a primary cause of osteoporosis.

False. Arthritis refers to inflammation in the joints, not to a loss of bone strength or density. Long-term use of prescription steroids for rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, or psoriasis, however, can weaken bones.

5. People with chronic digestive diseases are at increased risk for osteoporosis.

True. Crohn's disease and celiac sprue can interfere with the body's ability to absorb calcium and may reduce bone mass. Having type 1 diabetes and hypercalciuria, a disorder in which excess calcium is lost through the urine, may also rob the body of the calcium needed to build and maintain bone.

6. Our bones stop growing when we are about 20 years old.

False. The human body is constantly breaking down and remaking bone tissue. Osteoporosis can result when the rate of bone loss exceeds that of bone production.

Drug Eases Chemo Side Effect

Scientists recently studied the impact of a prescription antiseizure drug on 420 women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer who suffered two or more hot flashes a day. The women were randomly selected to receive daily doses of 300 mg or 900 mg of Neurontin (generic name: gabapentin) or a dummy drug.

After eight weeks of treatment, the research team reported a 31 percent fall in hot flashes among the 300 mg group and a 15 percent drop among those given a placebo. Those taking the 900 mg dose noted a 46 percent reduction.

The scientists could not comment on long-term use of the drug, adding that the effects of doses higher than 900 mg per day merit further study. Neurontin is widely used to treat epilepsy and post-shingles pain in adults.

Cold, Flu, or Allergy?

We're into the prime season for colds and flu. And the drop in outdoor temperatures can also trigger allergies as people spend more time in their homes around pet dander and house dust mites. Since these diseases share many of the same symptoms, they're sometimes hard to tell apart.

The following chart can help you figure out—and best treat—what's ailing you or your loved ones.

Symptom	Airborne Allergy	Cold	Flu
Fever	Never	Rare	Usual
Headache	Rare	Rare	Common
Body aches	Never	Slight	Usual
Fatigue	Sometimes	Sometimes	Usual
Stuffy/Runny nose	Common	Common	Sometimes
Chest discomfort	Rare	Mild	Common
Treatment	Antihistamines, Decongestants, Rx Nasal Steroids	Antihistamines, Decongestants, Ibuprofen, asprin, or acetaminophen	Ibuprofen, aspirin, or acetaminophen, Rx Antivirals

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