Present 1446: The Science of Strong Bones: Life-style, Medicine and Motion

Do you could have osteoporosis? According to the CDC, greater than 10 million Americans have low bone density that makes them extra weak to fractures. For many older individuals, a fracture will be devastating, decreasing mobility and presumably even resulting in dying. What proof might help you keep sturdy bones?

At The People’s Pharmacy, we attempt to deliver you up‑to‑date, rigorously researched insights and conversations about well being, medication, wellness and well being insurance policies and well being methods. While these conversations intend to supply perception and perspective, the content material is supplied solely for informational and academic functions. Please seek the advice of your healthcare supplier earlier than making any adjustments to your medical care or therapy.

How You Can Listen:

You may pay attention by means of your native public radio station or get the stay stream on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, at 7 am EDT in your pc or good telephone (wunc.org).  Here is a hyperlink so you’ll find which stations carry our broadcast. If you’ll be able to’t hearken to the published, you might want to hear the podcast later. You can subscribe by means of your favourite podcast supplier, obtain the mp3 utilizing the hyperlink on the backside of the web page, or hearken to the stream on this publish beginning on Sept. 29, 2025.

Strong Bones:

You could have seen Halloween skeletons and even chewed the meat off a bone that you just then dropped on a plate with a clatter. No marvel we often consider bones as onerous, unchanging objects. Dead bones are. But dwelling bones are fairly totally different. Strong bones are always present process change. Scientists name it transforming. One set of specialised cells, osteoclasts, breaks bone tissue down and recycles it. Another set, the osteoblasts, builds bone again. Ideally, their actions are in steadiness. But if the osteoclasts begin to get forward, as they have a tendency to do whereas we age, that may weaken bone. The result’s low bone mass, referred to as osteopenia, and even critical bone loss referred to as osteoporosis. This places an individual in danger for fractures.

Who Gets Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis could have been much less widespread 100 years in the past or extra, when many individuals needed to do guide labor that put stress on their bones. That helps for sturdy bones, so at this time’s sedentary existence can undermine bone well being. Although we consider osteoporosis as usually affecting postmenopausal girls, males can lose bone mass too. Medications could contribute to the chance for bone loss. Steroids comparable to prednisone or methylprednisolone are particularly dangerous if taken for a protracted time frame. Androgen deprivation remedy for prostate most cancers is a threat issue particularly for males.

Diagnosing Osteoporosis:

Doctors assess bone mineral density with imaging referred to as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, or DEXA for brief. Then they evaluate the outcomes on the scan to the outcomes they’d anticipate from a 30-year-old individual. Results greater than 2.5 normal deviations from that might end in a analysis of osteoporosis. An individual who experiences a fracture with out trauma, comparable to falling from standing top, can be suspected and sometimes identified with osteoporosis.

Non-Drug Approaches to Strong Bones:

People who need to hold sturdy bones have to give attention to train. High depth train will be useful, however brisk strolling could also be sufficient. Tai chi and yoga are additionally standard. If you could have been identified with osteoporosis, be sure you test in together with your physician earlier than you begin a brand new train program. Building steadiness and core power with out rising your threat of a fall (and thus a fracture) could be very best. Our visitor professional, Dr. Kendall Moseley, says the jury continues to be out on expertise comparable to vibrating platforms, weighted vests or vibrating belts. More research ought to present how useful these could possibly be.

Following a eating regimen that provides satisfactory protein, vitamin D and calcium can be essential. If you need to take a calcium complement, calcium citrate could also be nicely tolerated and absorbed.

How Do Doctors Treat Osteoporosis?

Physicians prescribe a number of various kinds of drugs to assist curb bone much less and maybe even construct it again. Some of the oldest and least costly are the bisphosphonates comparable to alendronate (Fosamax). These sluggish bone break down and provides the osteoblasts an opportunity to catch up. They will be onerous on the digestive tract, although, and so they have been related to a couple of uncommon however alarming negative effects: jawbone deterioration and atypical thigh bone fracture. Most individuals appear to do nicely on them. Doctors typically prescribe them for as much as 5 years.

Did You Forget Evista?

Another sort of osteoporosis medication is known as raloxifene (Evista). It is acceptable just for girls, as a result of it’s an estrogen modulator. It acts like estrogen within the bones and reduces bone loss. In the breast and uterus, it opposes estrogen exercise. Raloxifene does double obligation in decreasing the chance of breast most cancers in addition to osteoporosis. Like all medication, although, it has some worrisome negative effects. It can improve the chance of blood clots that trigger deep vein thromboses and strokes.

What About Prolia?

Denosumab (Prolia) is a monoclonal antibody that additionally interferes with osteoclasts. That is the way it improves bone density. One factor to remember about Prolia is that stopping it requires cautious planning and backup medicine. Otherwise, a affected person can lose all of the bone that was constructed quite rapidly and should undergo debilitating fracture.

This Week’s Guest:

Kendall Moseley, MD, is Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine within the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She can be Clinical Director of the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. In addition, Dr. Moseley is Medical Director of the Johns Hopkins Metabolic Bone & Osteoporosis Center.

Listen to the Podcast:

The podcast of this program will likely be obtainable Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, after broadcast on Sept. 27. You can stream the present from this website and obtain the podcast without spending a dime, or you’ll find it in your favourite platform.

In the podcast for this episode, we focus on the professionals and cons of estrogen for sturdy bones. You’ll additionally find out about a drug that builds bone, teriparatide (Forteo). And you’ll hear in regards to the significance of stopping falls and the way to try this.