In the United States, about 10 million people age 50 and older have osteoporosis, to say nothing of the more than 43 million people who are knocking at the door of this disease because they have low bone density.
No matter the level of bone loss, weaker bones place you at greater risk for fractures, which can seriously impact your life. So it’s a good idea to pay close attention to your bone health. And this applies especially to women, who make up about 80% of people with osteoporosis.
At Progressive Care For Women, S.C., Drs. Michele Hakimian, Kate Nash, Matthew King, and the expert women's health team understand that women are in the direct line of fire when it comes to bone loss and osteoporosis, and we’re here to help. To that end, we cover five best practices for preventing osteoporosis, or at least slowing the disease.
The reason why women are more vulnerable to bone loss is due to hormone levels, or hormone loss, to be more precise. When women transition through perimenopause to menopause, and their reproductive hormone levels plummet, bone loss can speed up. Women can lose about 20% of their bone density after menopause. That’s why, worldwide, one in 10 postmenopausal women over 60 develops osteoporosis.
One way to offset this hormone loss is through hormone replacement therapy, which brings your levels of estrogen back up, which can help prevent or slow bone loss.
One of the keys to strong and healthy bones is calcium absorption in your body, which is enabled through vitamin D.
Unlike some other vitamins, your body can produce its own vitamin D, and the key to kickstarting production is exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun. So, be sure to get outside and soak in some sun for 15 minutes per day.
You can also get vitamin D from certain foods, such as fatty fish and egg yolks, as well as foods that are fortified with vitamin D, such as milk and orange juice.
On top of vitamin D, make sure you’re getting calcium from dairy products and leafy greens.
Your bones are constantly rebuilding and remodeling themselves, and the rate they do this depends on the demand. So, if you’re not moving around much, your body registers inactivity and slows down the bone rebuilding process.
Conversely, if you exercise and strength train, your body recognizes it needs to build stronger bones to keep up.
We suggest activities that are concussive, as they send direct signals to rebuild bone — for example, anything that involves jumping. Just as important, you can lift weights, which creates tension that your bones register.
There are several lifestyle factors that can contribute to bone loss, such as:
So, if any of these apply to you, consider making changes in these areas.
When it comes to bone loss, we highly recommend screening for bone density after menopause, so we have a good starting point. We can help set this up and, depending on your test results, develop a preventive plan for bone loss that might include osteoporosis medications and some of the strategies we outlined above.
For help maintaining strong bones and expert osteoporosis care, make an appointment at Progressive Care For Women, S.C. today.
