Dear Reader,
Healthy bones continuously break down and rebuild at the cellular level. As you age your bones break down faster. For women, this is especially true after menopause. When bone rebuilding can’t keep pace with breakdown, bones deteriorate and become weaker. This leads to osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis treatments aim to slow or stop this process, allowing you to maintain and strengthen your bones, decreasing your risk of fracture.
The only way to diagnose osteoporosis is with a bone density test, which measures the amount of calcium in your hips and spine. Experts recommend that women have an initial bone density test at age 65, although factors that put you at a higher risk of a fracture may warrant an earlier screening. These risk factors include: - Cigarette smoking or excess alcohol consumption
- Long-term use of steroid medication such as prednisone
- Low body weight
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- A personal or family history of low-trauma bone fractures, particularly hip fractures
- Chronic medical conditions linked to early menopause of chronic liver disease
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