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What is osteoporosis?...and how is it connected with menopause?
Strong bones are vital to healthy, active, independent living for all ages and both genders. But for women around the time of menopause and beyond, bone health is especially important. This is because estrogen, the hormone that drops around menopause, is also the hormone that slows bone loss. So, women at mid-life and beyond are vulnerable to osteoporosis, a disease that makes bones weak and fragile.
How bone health affects life
Imagine what your life would be like if you couldn't sit up or stand straight... couldn't lift a little child... couldn't walk without help. Those are the consequences of the bone breaks most common to osteoporosis, striking the spine, the hip and wrist. Any of these bones if weakened by osteoporosis, can break during the simplest of daily movements, from climbing stairs to just bending forward.
Without regular screening and check-ups, the first sign of osteoporosis can be a broken bone. Other signs of the bone disease include:
• Sloping shoulders
• Curve in the back
• Height loss
• Back pain
• Hunched posture
• Protruding abdomen
The risk factors for getting osteoporosis are highest for older, white or Asian women who are menopausal and post-menopausal, have a thin, small body build, and a family history of osteoporosis. While those risks can't be controlled, others can: smoking, drinking too much alcohol, insufficient calcium and Vitamin D, and too little exercise.
Keeping bones strong at any age
The best way to prevent weak bones is to work on building strong ones. No matter how old you are, it's never too late to start. While bone loss does come with aging and menopause, there are steps you can take to slow the bone loss and to prevent your bones from becoming weak and brittle. Experts urge these bone-friendly steps:
- Get enough calcium. From food and supplements, women over 50 should get a minimum of 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day.
- Get enough Vitamin D. New research indicates that the overwhelming majority of people don't get enough Vitamin D, whether from sunlight, food or even many supplements. Talk with your healthcare provider about how much D is right for you.
- Eat right. Dairy products, lean meat, green, leafy vegetables and oranges are bone-happy foods.
- Exercise. Physical activity can slow bone loss, improve muscle, and help balance (important in avoiding falls and fractures).
- Don't smoke. It harms your bones, and depletes even more estrogen from the body.
- Drink alcohol moderately. Too much can make it harder for your body to use bone-building calcium, and can also affect balance.
- Be safe at home. Reduce your chance of falling: avoid scatter rugs and clutter that can be trip hazards.
Arkansas Health topics being discussed here:
- osteoporosis
- menopause
- breast cancer
- dangers of obesity
- Vitamin D supplements
- vitamin scams
- alcohol energy drinks
Obesity boom amongst baby boomers
Baby boomers claim that their biggest fear is cancer. Yet the facts show that heart disease and diabetes should be on the top of that list.
A recent Associated Press poll indicates that Boomers (people born from 1946 through 1964) are more obese than previous generations. Many baby boomers say they get some aerobic exercise, but only about a quarter of them are actually getting the recommended 2-1/2 hours a week of exercise. Just 37% are performing the strength training that is crucial in fighting muscle loss.
These sobering statistics could definitely affect Medicare costs as the 77 million baby boomers begin turning 65. Obesity, along with its extra risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and arthritis - will further those costs.
About 60% of boomers who were polled say they are dieting to lose weight. But, experts warn that it takes physical activity and not just dieting to lose pounds. Physical activity can help people prevent the mobility problems that often happen to sedentary people as they age. According to Jack Rejeski of Wake Forest University, a specialist in exercise and aging, dieting alone can often cause loss of precious muscle in addition to fat. He says, "Whether you're overweight or just the right size, physical activity can help stave off the mobility problems that often affect sedentary people. Muscles gradually become flabbier until people find themselves on the verge of disability." He led a study that found that a modest weight loss plan along with 2-1/2 hours of walking per week can significantly help people over the age of 60 improve their mobility. "I don't think there's any question the earlier you get started, the better," adds Rejeski.
Weight has strongest influence on breast cancer hormones
London, England - Weight is the biggest factor affecting hormones that increase breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women, say researchers in the British Journal of Cancer.
The study, funded by Cancer Research UK, found that weight had the biggest influence on hormone levels - raising them all, especially estrogen, which can fuel breast cancer. Alcohol and cigarettes were the next things to affect hormone levels.
Dr. Julie Sharp, senior science information officer at Cancer Research UK, said in a press release: "We know that the risk of the disease can be affected by family history and getting older, but there are also things women can do to help reduce the risk of the disease. Maintaining a healthy body weight and reducing alcohol consumption are key to reducing breast cancer risk."
Not all Vitamin D supplements contain what they say they do
White Plains, New York - A recent independent test on 28 Vitamin D supplements highlighted a variety of problems in 29% of the supplements reviewed, according to ConsumerLab.com.
One of the most popular supplements among consumers, Vitamin D sales rose from $72 million in 2006 to $429 million in 2009. In a ConsumerLab.com reader survey, 56% of respondents used the vitamin, and it ranked as number four in popularity.
In the testing, ConsumerLab.com found that the most common problem was the wrong amount of vitamins. In a children's gummy bear supplement, the bears contained 251% more Vitamin D than listed; a gummy product for adults contained only 32% of the listed Vitamin D; a liquid form of the supplement contained only 44% of the stated amount; and a tablet contained only 83% of the listed amount.
Mixing energy drinks with alcohol riskier than alcohol alone
Highland Heights, Kentucky - Alcohol with energy drinks may be riskier than alcohol alone, say Northern Kentucky University researchers, reported in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
Fifty-six participants were given alcohol, an energy drink, an energy drink/alcohol combination or a placebo. Afterward, they were given a task that measured how quickly they execute actions, and were asked how they felt in terms of stimulation, sedation, impairment and levels of intoxication.
"A consumer of alcohol, with or without the energy drink, acts impulsively compared to when they had not consumed alcohol. However, the consumer of the alcohol/energy drink felt more stimulated compared to an alcohol-alone consumer. Therefore, consumption of an energy drink combined with alcohol sets up a risky scenario for the drinker due to this enhanced feeling of stimulation and high impulsivity levels," said Cecile A. Marczinski, first author of the study.
L.A. Times - Health
Headlines from latimes.com| 05/20/2012 12:00 AM |
| Graduating collegians cope with student debt in a weak economy |
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Students and graduates from several Southland campuses talk of their loans and how paying them off figures into their plans. For some, the path seems secure; for others, uncertainty is the only certainty. College graduation is typically a time to tally accomplishments and to look ahead. But for many graduates, it is also a time to tally student loans and figure out how to repay them.
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| 05/20/2012 12:00 AM |
| McManus: A campaign bombshell |
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If the court upholds the healthcare reform law, the president wins; if it declares the law unconstitutional, he loses. Right? Well, not so fast. The Supreme Court is about to toss a judicial bomb into the middle of the presidential campaign, and nobody knows what impact it will have.
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| 05/19/2012 12:00 AM |
| Gear: Big wheels rule |
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The revolution is over — and big wheels have won. The "29er" mountain bike, which first appeared on the scene a decade ago with monster-truck tires 3 inches taller than the age-old 26-inchers, now dominates the market. It's easy to see why: The bike makes you faster and safer, gaining more momentum and floating better over sand and rocks. This year, the demand's so hot for huge hoops that some companies don't even sell 26ers anymore. Others have started experimenting with different-size big wheels, like the 650B, a "27.5er" (reviewed below) that touts faster speed with sharper steering. At the recent Handmade Bicycle Show in Sacramento, one company even rolled out a 36er — a cruiser with 3-foot-diameter tires. A mountain-bike version can't be far behind.
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| 05/19/2012 12:00 AM |
| Fitness: Exercise apps for your smartphone |
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IPhone, iPad and Android apps can help you boost your fitness level. Reviewed: Yoga With Janet Stone, Endomondo Pro, Nike Training Club, Zombies, Run!, Fleetly. Forget Angry Birds. Your smartphone can be a powerful tool for improving your overall fitness if you give it half a chance.
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| 05/19/2012 12:00 AM |
| Are raspberry ketones a 'miracle' fat burner? Dr. Oz weighs in. |
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Sales took off after the supplement was touted on 'The Dr. Oz Show.' But does it really work? Until recently, very few people had ever heard of raspberry ketones, the aromatic compounds that give the berries their distinctive smell. Today, health food stores have trouble keeping the capsules or drops of the stuff on their shelves. Almost overnight, an obscure plant compound became the next big thing in weight loss — and all it took was a few words from Dr. Oz.
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The Dallas Morning News - Health
The RSS feed of The Dallas Morning News
Health - chicagotribune.com
Headlines from chicagotribune.com| 05/18/2012 10:36 AM | ||
| HDL, the good cholesterol, may not be so good after all | ||
A new genetic study suggests that high-density lipoprotein, the so-called good cholesterol commonly known as HDL, may not actually be as good for us as physicians previously thought. A study of more than 100,000 people found that those with genes that promote production of higher-than-normal levels of HDL do not have a lower risk of having a heart attack, a finding that has surprised researchers immensely. The results could have major implications for pharmaceutical manufacturers, who have been attempting to develop drugs that will raise HDL in the hopes of preventing heart attacks in people at higher risk.
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| 05/17/2012 03:56 PM | ||
| Fructose makes rats dumber. What sugars should we avoid? | ||
Rats fed fructose-laced drinking water for six weeks performed more slowly in a maze-navigating task, UCLA researchers have found. (Read this L.A. Times opinion article .) They think the effect is due to changes in the way the brain responds to insulin as a result of exposure to fructose.
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| 05/17/2012 03:16 PM | ||
| Donna Summer: Lung cancer leading cause of cancer death | ||
Disco legend Donna Summer, 63, died Wednesday night, reportedly of lung cancer. As of press time, her family hadn’t released details about her illness, so it was unknown what type of lung cancer she had, and how long she may have been ailing.
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| 05/17/2012 06:06 AM | ||
| Supermarket intervention prompted shoppers to buy more produce | ||
We’re fat, in case you hadn’t heard. And as we learned last week, 42% of American adults will be obese by 2030, according to researchers at the Weight of the Nation conference sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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| 05/16/2012 04:27 PM | ||
| Chain restaurants don't meet U.S. nutrition guidelines, study says | ||
Plenty of restaurants have been advertising their efforts to offer healthful choices, and it’s possible to eat carefully just about anywhere. But researchers say nearly all the entrees they reviewed at 245 U.S. chains fail to meet federal guidelines.
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| 05/16/2012 03:15 PM | ||
| Healthy food doesn't have to be expensive, USDA insists | ||
Healthy food, we’ve often heard, is pricey food. Fruits and vegetables -- they’re expensive! We can’t afford to eat that way! That’s why we don’t do it!
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