Do you think osteoporosis can be avoi... - Osteoporosis Support

Osteoporosis Support

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Do you think osteoporosis can be avoided?

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We recently shared an article on our Facebook page from a doctor who said:

"Like many people—and sadly, that includes many doctors—I had some very wrong ideas about osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercise, calcium and vitamin D, I figured, are all we really need to keep age-related bone loss in check. Drugs that treat the disease aren't worth the risk because of hideous side effects (such as a disintegrating jawbone!). Bone density tests are something of a scam, needlessly scaring a lot of people (especially middle-aged women like me) into taking those dreaded drugs."

But if fractures are so common after the age of 50, why aren't doctors doing more to prevent them? i.e. testing and treatment.

"Many reasons, on top of the side effect issue. No single specialty owns osteoporosis. Orthopedic surgeons who deal with fractures have no training and little incentive to treat it, nor does Medicare require a bone density evaluation after a bone fracture. Nursing homes, which often manage the care of patients with broken hips, tend to let things lie once the fracture is treated."

You can read the full article here: scientificamerican.com/arti...

What are you doing to prevent further bone loss? Do you think osteoporosis can be avoided?

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