Osteopenia Diagnosis, Treatment, And Prevention
The first time many people ever hear the term osteopenia is when their doctor gives them the result of their Bone Mineral Density, BMD test
. They had reached the age of 50 and their physician wanted a benchmark to measure their bone density as they got older. Osteopenia, like osteoporosis, refers to bone mineral density, but it is lower than normal peak BMD, but not low enough to be diagnosed as osteoporosis. Bone mineral density measures the level of minerals in your bones. The minerals indicate how dense and strong your bones are.
Bones naturally become thinner starting in middle age because existing bone cells are reabsorbed by the body faster than new bone is made. When this happens, the bones lose minerals and mass making them weaker all of which increases their chance of breaking.
Some people who have osteopenia may not have bone loss. They may just have a lower bone density. Osteopenia is also the result of illness and eating disorders. If you are not getting enough of the right nutrients you are going to lose bone mass. Chemotherapy, steroidal medicines and exposure to radiation are other reasons for bone loss. Having a family history of osteoporosis or just being thin may also increase your risk of osteopenia.
The problem is there are no symptoms for osteopenia. Your bones become thinner but you do not feel any different or look any different. The concern about osteopenia and osteoporosis is that with either you increase your risk of breaking a bone. The weaker your bones are the less stability and balance you have and you are more likely to fall. Breaking a hip bone, for example, is well documented as the beginning of the end for 25 percent of the people who do break their hip bone. Another 25 percent are confined to a nursing home. The goal, then, is not to put yourself at risk by making sure your bones have some density and mass. This is anti aging medicine at its finest.
Osteopenia is treated by taking steps to keep it from progressing to osteoporosis. Most people can achieve this by changing their lifestyle. This includes changing their diet to include sources of calcium such as dairy and green vegetables. Taking a calcium and vitamin D supplement are also part of the solutions.
Exercise is also important in maintaining strong bones. Weight bearing exercises such as walking or biking and dancing are good choices. Add to that light weights or elastic bands to help the upper body.
There are also medicines to treat bone thinning but these are more commonly used when you have passed osteopenia and are in osteoporosis. The problem is some of the drugs carry risks so many experts say the diagnosis and drug treatment does more harm than good.
It is difficult to prevent osteopenia, at least not completely. It all depends on your family history, if you are thin, how much calcium and vitamin D you received when you were a child and as a young adult. The trick is to increase your bone density before you are 30 when the density peaks. If you are over 30 it is not too late to make lifestyle changes but the results will not be as good.
The fact is doctors do not agree on the treatment for osteopenia and for osteoporosis as well. Much of the controversy revolves around at what stage to take the medications. Others are skeptical about taking medicine for osteopenia because they do not see it as a disease but as a marker for the risk of osteoporosis.
by: Ruthan Brodsky
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