by Jose Sonik
The more aggressively you screen for and try to prevent osteoporosis, the lower your risk of a hip fracture is, studies show.
Hip fractures are common in the elderly, especially women, who lose essential calcium during pregnancy and menopause.
Kaiser Southern California has developed a three-step action plan that they say can reduce hip fractures by as much as 25%.
The three steps are as follows:
Bone scans: Kaiser recommends x-ray absotiometry, the best bone density test available. The tests should be taken by all women over 65, all men over 70, everyone on high dosages of medicines that leach calcium from the bones, and anyone over 50 with a history of fragility fractures. These are the high-risk populations, and a scan could catch a weakening bone before it becomes a fracture.
Education and treatment: Learning and teaching about osteoporosis helps people help themselves. The more you know about osteoporosis, the better you can protect yourself from fractures. Kaiser found that patients who understood their treatment opted for more than just drug treatment: they got home safety checks to help prevent falls. Slippery bathtubs, cords across the room, and loose rugs are all tripping hazards that can snap a fragile bone.
Fall Prevention: If you’re at risk for a fall, consider learning fall-reduction techniques, that will lower your risk for a fall. Physical therapy can improve balance and coordination, reducing the risk still further.
Kaiser ran a three-part program with 620,000 patients in Southwestern United States, and found an overall reduction of hip fractures by 35%. Why wait for them to test it in your neighborhood? Start your own three-part program today.
Posts Tagged ‘bone density’
Take a Crack at Osteoporosis
Sunday, November 23rd, 2008Hormone Replacement a Fountain of Youth?
Monday, November 17th, 2008by Jose Sonik
With aging, comes reduced hormone levels. Does reversing the hormone levels reverse aging?
Not exactly, but it might come close.
Human growth hormone is a hormone that predominantly increases height. While doing so, it also increases muscle mass and bone density. HGH is at its highest levels during childhood and puberty. As we mature, the levels decrease, beginning a sharp decline at around age 30. At around that time, bone density declines, muscle mass reduces, and physical disorders like diabetes increase.
Until now, some of the more desperate aging generation have taken HGH in the hope of reversing aging, but research has not corroborated their theory.
But now, something new is in the air. According to Natalie Angier of the NY Times: “In a clinical trial of 21 healthy men ranging in age from 61 to 81, researchers found that after six months of injections of a genetically engineered version of the natural body hormone, the men emerged with bodies that by many measures were almost 20 years younger than the ones they started with.”
Aging was measured only in the distribution of body weight. The men were found to have increased muscle mass and decreased fat. The scientists hypothesize that some bulk went to internal organs, which shrink with age, but aren’t sure. The men’s skin also increased in thickness and youth, and bone density increased.
Of course, the significance of this improvement is debatable. HGH is known to increase muscles mass and reduce fat, but without really increasing strength. And what’s the point of muscle without strength? Similarly, the change in appearance was not correlated to an increase in performance of organs or body.
And as with all drugs, there were the side effects. HGH can cause swelling in the face, arms, and legs; arthritis; diabetes; hardened arteries, high blood pressure, and heart failure; and abnormal growth of bones and organs, among others.