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INFORMATION FOR
POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN ABOUT OSTEOPOROSIS
By Emily Kuhnmuench, CRC and
Grattan Woodson, MD FACP
What is Osteoporosis?
What are the facts?
Who is at risk?
What are the
risk factors?
What about
pre-menopausal women?
What treatment is available?
How is osteoporosis detected?
Do you need research
volunteers?
Osteoporosis, the Silent
Thief
Osteoporosis is a bone disease
caused by the loss of calcium mineral from previously healthy bones.
As calcium is lost, the bones begin to weaken and become brittle.
These thin bones break easily with slight stress—like a china cup.
While osteoporosis is the main cause of fractures of the hip, wrist
and spine, the disease begins years before. Thousands of people die
from osteoporosis each year, mainly due to complications from a hip
fracture. Many more never regain the ability to walk naturally again
and some loose their independent lifestyle.
The “dowager’s hump” deformity
of the spine and loss of an inch or more in height are signs
osteoporosis may be developing. Osteoporotic fractures are not only
painful but also can cause disfigurement of the wrist and spine.
Even so, most patients with osteoporosis today are unaware they have
the disease because it develops so slowly. For this reason
osteoporosis is known as the “silent thief.”
The
Hard Facts
Osteoporosis afflicts 28 million Americans
including 750,000 Georgians. The silent thief robs many otherwise
healthy people of bone strength. Hip fractures tend to occur late in
life and often target those with other medical problems. In 2002
alone, 70,000 Americans died due to complications of hip fracture.
Common causes of death after hip fracture include pulmonary
embolism, heart attack, stroke, pneumonia and other infections. In
addition, each year, 1.2 million people experience painful fractures
of the wrist, spine, or other sites. In fact, the average woman
passing through menopause has a 50% change of suffering an
osteoporotic fracture of one of these sites during her remaining
lifespan. Fortunately, today this fate can be avoided by finding
what your risk for osteoporosis is and taking action to prevent this
disease from stealing your independence in the golden years.
Who
is at Risk?
Caucasian women are 2.5 times more likely than
black women to suffer an osteoporotic fracture. Despite lower risk
for this disease, osteoporosis is an important cause of disability
and premature death in black women. Research conducted at our
center and elsewhere shows that white and black postmenopausal women
share the same risk factors for osteoporosis.
Common
osteoporosis risk factors include:
-
Family History of osteoporosis
-
Early menopause (before the
age of 50) or the removal of both ovaries
-
Small, thin body frame and
fair-skinned
-
Low levels of physical
activity
-
Low daily intake of calcium
and vitamin D
-
Tobacco use
-
Drinking 2 or more alcoholic
beverages a day
What about Pre-Menopausal
Women?
While fractures due to
osteoporosis don’t usually develop until about age 65, bone loss
begins some 20 years before. Osteoporosis has a long silent period
where there are no symptoms at all. It is important for middle-aged
women to become aware that excessive bone loss has begun when it is
still early enough to do something about it. If you wait until a
fracture has developed, your best opportunity for prevention is long
past. Osteoporosis is a disease that is much easier to prevent than
to treat. Having a bone density test around the time of menopause
is the best way to find out if you are at risk for osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis Treatment
Treatment and prevention of
osteoporosis begins with assuring an adequate dietary intake of
calcium and vitamin D. Many women find they need to use supplements
to get enough of these nutrients. Regular moderate weight bearing
exercise like walking for 30 to 45 minutes daily helps maintain or
build strong bones. Traditional therapy approved for treatment and
prevention of osteoporosis by the US FDA include Fosamax, Evista,
and Actonel. In addition Estrogen is approved for prevention and
Miacalcin is approved for treatment of osteoporosis.
At the Atlanta Research Center
we specialize in the development of new therapies for this disease.
Currently we are studying several investigational new drugs. These
potential therapies are designed to provide postmenopausal women
with a safer and more effective alternative to traditional
treatments especially hormone therapy (HT).
HT (short for estrogen plus
progesterone) use by postmenopausal women has lessened due to the
results by the Women’s Health Initiative study published in July of
2002. This National Institutes of Health supported study found that
women who used traditional estrogen combined with progesterone (HT)
for prevention of chronic disease actually had an increase in these
conditions.
Heart attacks, stroke, blood
clots, and breast cancer were all slightly increased with
traditional HT while osteoporotic fractures and colon cancer were
decreased. Overall the WHI investigators found the risks of using
HT outweighed the benefits. The results from this study underscore
the important of Women’s health research studies designed to find
safer alternatives to this commonly used treatment.
Osteoporosis Detection
The only sure way to diagnose
osteoporosis is to have a bone mineral density test. The test
measures bone density in your spine, hip, and/or wrist, which are
the most common sites of osteoporotic fracture. These tests are
usually provided free of charge to patients participating in
osteoporosis research studies. The information from a bone density
test will tell you where you stand now and determine whether you are
at risk for a future fracture. The lower your bone density is on the
test, the higher your risk for fracture. The test itself is a fast,
simple, and painless procedure.
Research Volunteers Needed
The Atlanta Research Center is the leading
facility for osteoporosis research in this Southeastern US.
Volunteers for new osteoporosis studies are always needed to help us
answer important questions about this disease. Participation in a
clinical research study can be an interesting and rewarding
experience for the volunteer. Benefits include making a
contribution to the health of yourself and future generations of
women. Volunteers have the satisfaction of being a part of the
solution to the problem rather than being a victim of osteoporosis.
Research volunteers also receive the study medicine, calcium
supplements, study related office visits and physical examinations,
bone density tests, and blood and urine tests free of charge. For
more information about ongoing osteoporosis research at the Atlanta
Research Center click over to our
VOLUNTEER page. |
