Doctor: Osteoporosis should be a concern for women who smoke, drink heavily
12:26 p.m. Thursday, December 7, 2006
Women are three times as likely as men to develop osteoporosis than men, said Dr. Deborah Anderson, a St. Francis physician.
Women with premature ovarian failure or premature menopause are at an increased risk as well as women with eating disorders. Genetics is the number one risk factor.
Bone fractures are the primary concern in the development and treatment of the disease.
Osteoporosis links
Learn more about the prevention and treatment of the silent disease at the following Web sites.
Web MD Osteoporosis Health Center
Osteoporosis info from the American Academy of Family Physicians
National Osteoporosis Foundation
"If a woman gets a hip fracture, she has a 20 percent chance of dying within a year after that," Anderson said. "It shocked me the first time I read it."
Exercise and dietary changes, such as drinking more milk, are more important than taking supplements, she said. However, the doctor still recommends calcium and vitamin D supplements for people, especially women.
Risk factors for developing the disease include smoking and drinking.
"Smoking is a huge risk factor," Anderson said. "And heavy drinking -- more than seven drinks a week -- is a huge risk factor for osteoporosis."
For those who develop the disease, some good news: treatment has improved. Currently, bisphosphonates -- alendronate, ibandronate and risedronate -- calcitonin, estrogens, parathyroid hormone and raloxifene are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the prevention and/or treatment of osteoporosis, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
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