Word: bone
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Like my mom, some 34 million Americans have osteopenia, according to Surgeon General Richard Carmona, who released a survey of the state of America's skeletal system last week. It was the first Surgeon General's report on bone health, and the news wasn't good. According to Carmona, 10 million Americans age 50 or older already have osteoporosis, and 1.5 million each year suffer osteoporosis-related fractures--typically in the hip, spine or wrist. Treating these fractures cost between $12 billion and $18 billion in 2002, the most recent year for which figures are available. And the situation will...
...There is a gap between what we know and what we do for bone health," says Carmona...
...report is a call to arms--and legs, hips and backbones--for doctors and patients to start putting into practice prevention and treatment strategies already proven to strengthen bone. These include building up bone mass beginning in childhood by exercising regularly--30 minutes of moderate activity every day--and getting plenty of calcium and vitamin D in the diet. Reducing caffeine and sodium intake can also keep calcium from leaching out of bone. And it's important to be aware that some drugs, such as corticosteroids, speed up bone loss by interfering with calcium absorption...
...over 65, it's a good idea to take a bone-mineral-density test every few years. It measures how "full" your bones are. If you have osteoporosis or advanced osteopenia, your doctor may prescribe drugs such as bisphosphonates or estrogen substitutes as well as a weight-training program. If you've already suffered a fracture, injections of parathyroid hormone can actually rebuild bone...
...mother's case, calcium supplements and weight-bearing exercises brought her bone mass back to normal within a year--proof that, as the Surgeon General says, you can do something about your bone health...