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Building
strong bones, especially before the age
of 30, can be the best defense
against
developing osteoporosis, and a healthy
lifestyle can be critically important
for keeping bones strong.
There are
several steps you can take to prevent
osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is largely preventable for
most people. Prevention of this disease
is very important because, while there
are treatments for osteoporosis, there
is currently no cure. There are five
steps to prevent osteoporosis. No one
step alone is enough to prevent
osteoporosis but all five may.
NOF's Five Steps to
Bone Health and Osteoporosis Prevention:
-
Get
your daily recommended amounts of
calcium and vitamin D
-
Engage in regular weight-bearing
exercise
-
Avoid
smoking and excessive alcohol
-
Talk
to your healthcare provider about bone health
-
When appropriate,
have a bone density test and take
medication
© 2002 NOF
NOF's Bone Tool Kit
 NOF
created a Bone Tool Kit as part of its
2007 osteoporosis awareness and
prevention campaign, "Osteoporosis. It's
Beatable. It's Treatable." The Bone Tool
Kit is a great resource for basic,
easy-to-read information on bone health
and osteoporosis. Each fact sheet or
section is a reproducible, stand alone
piece with essential information for
osteoporosis. To download the Bone Tool
Kit for free in English or Spanish go to
the
Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention
Campaign section of the NOF Web site.
Calcium
Calcium
is needed for the heart, muscles and
nerves to function properly and for
blood to clot. Inadequate calcium is
thought to contribute to the development
of osteoporosis. National nutrition
surveys have shown that many women and
young girls consume less than half the
amount of calcium recommended to grow
and maintain healthy bones.
According
to NOF recommendations, adults under age
50 need 1,000 mg of calcium daily, and
adults age 50 and over need 1,200 mg of
calcium daily. If you have difficulty getting
enough calcium from the foods you eat,
you may take a
calcium supplement to
make up the difference.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D
is needed for the body to absorb
calcium. Without enough vitamin D, you
will be unable to absorb calcium from
the foods you eat, and your body will
have to take calcium from your bones.
Vitamin D comes from two sources:
through the skin following direct
exposure to sunlight and from the diet.
According to NOF recommendations, adults
under age 50 need 400-800 IU of vitamin
D daily, and adults age 50 and over
need 800-1,000 IU of vitamin D daily.
There are two types of vitamin D supplements. They are vitamin D3 and vitamin D2. Previous research suggested that vitamin D3 was a better choice than vitamin D2. However, more recent studies show that vitamin D3 and vitamin D2 are equally good for bone health. Vitamin D3 is also called cholecalciferol. Vitamin D2 is also called ergocalciferol. Vitamin D can
also be obtained from fortified milk,
egg yolks, saltwater fish, liver and
supplements.
Exercise
Exercise
is also important to good bone health.
If you exercise regularly in childhood
and adolescence, you are more likely to
reach your peak bone density than those
who are inactive. The best exercise for
your bones is weight-bearing exercise
such as walking, dancing, jogging,
stair-climbing, racquet sports and
hiking. If you have been sedentary most
of your adult life, be sure to check
with your healthcare provider before
beginning any exercise program.
Medications for
Prevention and Treatment
Although
there is no cure for osteoporosis,
currently bisphosphonates (alendronate,
ibandronate and risedronate), calcitonin, estrogens,
parathyroid hormone and raloxifene are
approved by the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for the prevention
and/or treatment of osteoporosis.
Bone Mineral Density
Tests
A Bone
Mineral Density test (BMD) is the only
way to diagnose osteoporosis and
determine your risk for future fracture.
Since osteoporosis can develop
undetected for decades until a fracture
occurs, early diagnosis is important.
A BMD
measures the density of your bones (bone
mass) and is necessary to determine
whether you need medication to help
maintain your bone mass, prevent further
bone loss and reduce fracture risk. A
bone mineral density (BMD) test is a
special type of test that is accurate,
painless and noninvasive.
It is
never too early or too late to start
your prevention program. To receive the
latest scientific information on
osteoporosis, please consider joining
the NOF Family as a member. New members of
the National Osteoporosis Foundation
($30) receive our quarterly patient
newsletter, Osteoporosis Report, and a
copy of our 74-page comprehensive
patient handbook, Boning Up on
Osteoporosis. Several levels of health
professional memberships are available.
Join
the NOF Family on-line today.
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