Diagnosis: Osteopenia, Anyone here of this?

[Ladskater]

We had a health fair today at work and I had a couple of tests done. One was a back xray, which shows just how bad my spine is and the other is a bone denstiy test. I just learned I have osteopenia and am a prime candidate for osteoporosis in about ten years. My mom has osteoporosis. Lucky me.

[Blue Bead]

Ladskater, there's an easy-to-understand explanation of osteopenia at the following site:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=HQ01154

From the information presented there it appears that it's an early form of osteoporosis. So that means you should add adequate amounts of calcium to your diet and do some regular weight-bearing exercises. Walking would be a good option.

I had a bone density test about two months ago and the results show that I have the same amount of bone density as a 25 year old woman; I'm in my late 50's so that isn't bad at all. Yay, me! I do a lot of walking every day both on flat surfaces as well as up and down stairs.

Blue Bead

[dlkksk8fan]

Lad-I had a bone scan done and it showed that I have severe Osteoperosis in my lower spin and osteopenia in my hip. I don't feel like I have anything wrong with me but I guess I do. I do all the right things, eat good, don't smoke, don't drink, work out, lift weights, and still I get this disease.

[Rgirl]

Hi Lad,
Everything Dlkks8fan and Blue Bead said are true. Sorry you got the bad news, but it's not uncommon for women around our age.

First of all, you should get a proper bone scan from a reputable radiologist recommended by your primary care physician. Health Fairs are fine for alerting people to a possible problem, but I wouldn't hang my hat on those results. If the results from a reputable bone scan and interpretation still show osteopenia, there are both medications you can take to increase your bone density and also non-medication things.

The medications you should ask your doctor about are Evista and Fosamax. The results of studies show Evista to develop better bone density, but everybody's different and you should discuss it with your physician.

Non-pharmaceutical things you can do are to increase your calcium with vitamin D (not too much vitamin D, though, because it's a fat soluble vitamin and too much of it can make you sick); increase magnesium (magnesium glycinate is what I recommend, about 800 mg a day); get calcium and magnesium in your diet (do a search on foods high in calcium and magnesium); and finally, do weight-bearing exercise--walking is good and even 15 to 20 minutes of weight training a week can help a lot. You don't have to go to a gym. Invest in some five-pound ankle weights and use one to start out with (5 lbs) and two (10 lbs) as you get stronger.

Quickie answer and looking up Blue Bead's site as well as doing other searches on "osteopenia treatments" should help.

BTW, it's not necessarily anything you did or didn't do. A lot of it is genetic. Good luck!
Rgirl

[Doggygirl]

First, best wishes Lad and Dlkksk8fan finding the right combinations of medical and lifestyle solutions to stave off this problem.

Here's my question, from my COMPLETELY non-medical background. Is it fair to say that often bone problems and joint problems are connected? If so, do you think there is any merit to the "glucosamine condroiton" (sp) buzz or not? Actually, my Dad swears by Knox Plain Gelatin (not the flavored kind - the kind often used in canning and jelly making, etc.). He adds about 1 tablespoon to orange juice every day, and hasn't missed more than a few days in many years. He went to the doc years ago with a bad knee. The doc injected him with cortisone, but told him there was nothing that could be done to stop the deterioration, and that he would soon become a knee replacement candidate. Someone told him about the Knox Old Wives Tale, and it's been over 10 years and no knee replacement.

I'm not dissing medical science, but I do think there is a rightful place for diet, exercise, natural supplements, etc. in our lives. The supplements area is SO hard to figure out, since it's basically an unregulated snake oil type of business.

I find it interesting though, that dogs with bone and joint problems also get "geletin" type supplements. It's often an ingredient in special diet foods, and based on the recommendation of our vet, two of our dogs get a powdered supplement where the main ingredient is beef gelatin. One of our older dogs it a bit arthritic, and one of our younger dogs has less than 100% perfect hip joints.

Just wondering what you all think who are more knowledgeable than me. Hope I'm not wasting $$ on snake oil!!

DG

[show 42]

I have always been told that the type of bones you have, small, medium, or large, is a factor for future bone loss. Physicians out there, let me know if my info is off base please, but a friend of mine had a bone density test, and this is what her physician told her. Here is an easy indicator.........you take the thumb and middle finger of your left or right hand and use them to encircle the wrist bone of the opposite hand. If your thumb and middle finger over-lap, you have small bones, if they just touch, medium bones. If they don't touch, large bones. Obviously small boned or smalled framed women have a great risk of osteopenia than medium or large boned. Of course, this doesn't take the place of proper testing, but I'm wondering if anyone else has heard this? 42

[Blue Bead]

I read something on a website not too long ago, and I'm sorry to admit I didn't bookmark it for future reference, that overweight people have denser bones because the fact that they are carrying that extra weight, in a sense, becomes a weight-bearing exercise, and it increases their bone mass as a result. Where overweight people lose out, thought, is in the damage the their weight does to the joints; it hastens the destruction of cartilage between the bones.

I totally agree with Rgirl that a bone scan is a necessity, and, according to my personal physcian the best time to get one is before a woman reaches menopause due to the loss of bone density as a result of the decrease in hormones at that time of life. The pre-menopausal bone scan is then used to determine if there is any bone loss during and after menopause, and if so, how much. The early testing then becomes preventative care.

Blue Bead

[anya_angie]

*hugs to Lad and Dlkksk8fan*

Hey guys, love to you both, hang in there, I'm sure you'll be ok.