Q. My mother and her mother were diagnosed with osteoporosis and have both suffered hip fractures in their late 60’s. I am 33 and wonder if there is anything that I can do now to avoid having these same issues as I age?
A. Although not always hereditary, there is undoubtedly a family history of osteoporosis that can affect you. There are several things that you can do throughout your life to keep your bones strong and healthy. Osteoporosis is more common in women than men and is more prevelant in women who are petite and thin, Caucasian, Asian, use steroids for chronic medical conditions, smokers, have a history of heavy alcohol use.
Osteoporosis is the advanced disease with osteopenia being the earlier stage of bone loss. The name osteopenia is a literal translation from Greek, meaning “bone poverty.” Both are varying degrees of bone loss, as measured by bone mineral density, a marker for how healthy a bone is and the risk that it might break. If you think of bone mineral density as a slope, normal would be at the top and osteoporosis at the bottom. Osteopenia, which affects about half of Americans over age 50, would fall somewhere in the middle.
To determine your bone density, your physician will determine your T-score by referring you for a bone density x-ray (DEXA study) that measures the mineral content and mass of your bones. Generally, DEXA studies are not typically ordered until age 65 or earlier if other risk factors are present. A T-score will report how much your bone density differs from that of a healthy 30 year-old female. Your T-score will determine if you are in the normal, osteopenia, or osteoporosis category of bone health.
Our bones get weaker as we age, but you counter this by making lifestyle adjustments to protect your bone health.
- Do not smoke
- Limit your alcohol intake
- Get sufficient calcium and vitamin D through a healthy diet or supplements if necessary
- Incorporate at least 30 minutes a day of weight-bearing exercise (running, walking, exercising with weights, playing tennis, dancing, climbing stairs) that works against gravity and stimulates bone formation
- Resistance training exercises are also beneficial (lifting weights, resistance bands)
Generally at older ages, medications can be prescribed if your bone density T-score puts you in the category of osteoporosis. Prevention through healthy lifestyle choices is your best option to avoid reaching the stage of osteoporosis. Always discuss your family history of bone health and your best path to protecting your bone health throughout your adult life.
