Most women know that their risk for weak bones increases after menopause. But, did you know that women as young as age 20 are at risk for early-stage bone weakening? This includes women who exercise regularly and have low body fat. Called osteopenia, this condition is the precursor of osteoporosis. The good news is that it is reversible.

 

To learn more about osteopenia and how to protect against it, I called rheumatologist Harris H. McIlwain, MD. He is coauthor of the new book, Reversing Osteopenia: The Definitive Guide to Recognizing and Treating Early Bone Loss in Women of All Ages.

 

He tells me that all women should indeed be aware of osteopenia because halting the progress of this condition, which is both easy to diagnose and to treat, means you are much less likely to develop osteoporosis in later years. How are you? About 20 million to 30 million women have osteopenia and virtually none of them know it.

 

Those most at risk include women who...

Have osteoporosis in their immediate family.

Weigh under 127 pounds. Although the height-to-weight ratio obviously affects this, Dr. McIlwain says that research has found that being underweight is a risk factor and the magic number of 127 pounds is nearly always an indicator of being underweight.

Have low body fat, usually from regular intense physical training.
Are smokers.
Are sedentary.
Have had a bone fracture as an adult.

Dr. McIlwain advises all women by the age of 30 with any of these risk factors to get a bone density scan. Bone density is classified with a T-score (measuring your bones against those of a healthy 25-year-old.  "0" is a match). T -2.5 and below is osteoporosis, anything from T -1 to T -2.5 is osteopenia.

 

If you have osteopenia, start to correct it immediately, and if you don't, you can move on without worry and simply follow the usual good-health steps that make sense for all women. Many malls and health fairs offer an inexpensive and quick heel-bone–density scan, and Dr. McIlwain says this is a good first test. If it shows bone thinning, you can arrange with your doctor for a follow-up full Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry, or DEXA, scan -- which insurance often covers.

 

Women who have osteopenia should get from 1,200 mg to 1,500 mg of calcium a day, preferably combined with 600 mg to 750 mg magnesium for maximum absorption. Soda drinkers take note: Some research has shown that drinking even one can a day of soda may increase risk of low bone mass and fracture.

 

Exercise is vital -- especially two specific types, according to Dr. McIlwain. One is weight-bearing exercise -- brisk walking, biking and running, for example. The other is any exercise that increases the strength of your back muscles, such as lying on your belly and doing leg lifts. (For a simpler version, hold on to the back of a chair and slowly lift each leg, heel toward ceiling and knee straight, five to 10 times.) Research has shown that for reasons unknown, having strong back muscles improves bone density.

 

Carole Jackson
Bottom Line's Daily Health News, February 7, 2005

 

Sources
30 Minutes a Day... to a Healthy Heart

Adapted from the upcoming book: 30 Minutes a Day to a Healthy Heart, co-written by Frederic J. Vagnini, MD, FACS, executive medical director, Heart, Diabetes, and Weight Loss Centers of New York and Pulse Anti-Aging Center. The book is available from Reader's Digest by calling 800-846-2100 or at its Web site, www.rd.com.

Early Warnings

 

Harris H. McIlwain, MD, Tampa Medical Group, and coauthor, Reversing Osteopenia: The Definitive Guide to Recognizing and Treating Early Bone Loss in Women of All Ages (Owl Books/Henry Holt).