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Osteoporosis
What you need to know
All women and men need to know about Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a bone thinning disease that affects over 28 million Americans. The disease is marked by a progressive loss of bone mass that causes bones to become weak, fragile and easy to break. Osteoporosis is responsible for 1.5 million bone fractures each year, most often in the hip, wrist and spine. Many people do n to even know they have the disease until they break a bone. For this reason, osteoporosis is called the "silent disease."
It’s never too late to make a difference
You are never too old to stop bone loss! With a few simple steps, you can prevent or slow down osteoporosis.
Get plenty of calcium and vitamin D.
Eat a well balanced diet.
Get regular physical activity.
Avoid smoking cigarettes.
Detection and Treatment
Simple, low-cost methods have been developed to detect osteoporosis. For people who have osteoporosis, treatments are available to prevent further bone loss and fractures. Speak to your health care provider to find the treatment that is best for you.
Consult with your health care provider to learn more about your risk for osteoporosis and what you can do about it.
What you can do
Protect yourself from falls
Falls are the leading cause of broken bones.
Here are some things you can do to protect yourself from taking a serious fall:
Wear low-heeled, rubber soled shoes.
Install railings on both sides of stairways.
Avoid scatter rugs.
Secure carpets with double-sided carptet tape.
Remove loose wires and cords.
Keep hallways, stairs and room entrances well-lighted.
In your kitchen:
Use non-skid wax on floors.
Wipe up grease and spills immediately.
Use a sturdy step stool to reach cabinets.
In your bathroom:
Place non-skid mats and a sturdy grab bar in bathtub and shower.
Keep moving - Physical activity can prevent and slow down the progress of osteoporosis. Even at age 85-95, the more you make your bones and muscles work, the stronger they get.
Weight bearing activity makes the bones and muscles in your feet and legs work against gravity as you move your body. Walking and stair climbing are good weight bearing activities.
Strength training uses weights as resistance to help strengthen your muscles and bones. Use any kind of weight - hand weights, ankle weights, plastic bottles filled with sand, soup cans or weight machines to get the bone building benefits.
Balance and Posture are important to keep you standing straight, and reduce your risk of falling. Yoga and Tai Chi are fun activities that help you maintain or regain your balance and posture.
Bone up on calcium and vitamin D
Your bones are counting on you! No matter how old you are, your diet needs to be rich in calcium and vitamin D in order to protect your bones from becoming brittle and weak.
Men and women over 65 need 1200 mg of calcium and 400-600 units of vitamin D every day. You can get these nutrients through the foods you eat each day. If your diet does not give you enough calcium and vitamin D, talk to your health care provider about vitamin and mineral supplements.
Make a difference with your diet
A balanced diet is important in keeping you strong and healthy at any age.
Here are some good examples of calcium rich foods
Approx. Calcium in milligrams
Approx. Calcium
in milligrams
Dairy
Low-fat fruit yogurt 1 cup 314 mg
Low-fat 1% milk 1 cup 300 mg
American cheese 1 oz. 174 mg
Low-fat cheddar cheese 1 oz. 118 mg
Chocolate pudding ½ cup 150 mg
Ice milk, ice cream ½ cup 84 mg
or frozen yogurt
Proteins
Tofu (made with 4 oz. 258 mg
calcium sulfate)
Sardines 3 oz. 203 mg
(with bones)
Salmon
(with bones) 3 oz. 181 mg
Vegetables
Turnip greens 1 cup 250 mg
Bok choy 1 cup 160 mg
Broccoli 1 cup 72 mg
Collard greens 1 cup 358 mg
Other Foods
Vegetable lasagna 1 piece 454 mg
Cheese enchilada 2 100 mg
Cheese pizza (10") 1 slice 144 mg
Macaroni and cheese ½ cup 181 mg
Calcium-fortified 1 cup 266 mg
orange juice
Here are some good sources of Vitamin D:
Sunshine Multivitamins Egg Yolks
Milk with Vit. D. Salmon Liver
This information was provided by the Osteoporosis Awareness Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health.