How to treat Osteoporosis?
by Aleksandr Kavokin, MD, PhD,
There are several options for the treatment of Osteoporosis.
1. Parathyroid hormone regulates the turnover of calcium and phosphate in your body. Forteo is the synthetic chemical part of this hormone. It stimulates bone growth. However, it is good mostly for postmenopausal women who are at great risk for severe fractures. The problem is that in animals high doses of Forteo may cause cancer of the bone. It is a
dvised that you discuss the treatment with your doctor and weigh risks and benefits. 2. The drugs that slow the loss of bone include -Bisphosphonates: Alendronate (Fosamax), Actonel (Risedronate) -Estrogen receptor modulators: Evista (Raloxifene) -Calcitonin hormone that may be used as nasal spray.
Use Fosamax according to instructions. Otherwise you may have problems with swallowing because of affected esophagus.
New recommendations say that estrogen-containing products should only be considered for women at significant risk of osteoporosis.
It was found that women using estrogen or estrogen plus progesterone have increased risk for heart disease, breast cancer and other conditions.
3. Supplements of calcium and vitamin D, diet and exercise are important for prevention. The meal fortified with calcium and vitamin D, milk and cereals are good sources. The best calcium source is probably dairy products.
4. Inhibitors of enzymes that degrade bone are under investigation at present time.
To reduce your risk of osteoporosis you need to build and maintain bone mass.
-Get enough calcium and vitamin D. -Exercise regularly -Walk -Stop smoking. -Reduce alcohol use
Remember that you are at greater risk for osteoporosis if:
-You are a female -You have thin-boned frame -You have family history of osteoporosis - your older relatives have stooped posture or break bones often -Your menopause was before age 45 -Ovaries in female were removed surgically -You are White or Asian woman. -You use antiseizure medications, glucocorticoids (prednisone) cancer therapy, endometriosis drugs, antacids, and thyroid hormone. -You had growth hormone deficiency as a child.
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Is it possible to get too much calcium? The safe level is around 2,500 milligrams of calcium a day. Majority of people may use even more. However people with risk of kidney stones should talk to doctor.
An adult should consume 1 g of calcium daily, people older than 50 should target to 1,2g.
National Osteoporosis Foundation http://www.nof.org
Check for Osteoporosis http://www.rdoctor.com
Osteoporosis and bone physiology http://courses.washington.edu/bonephys/
Osteoporosis Online www.osteoporosis.ca
NIH ORBD-NRC - Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases http://www.osteo.org
Keywords: osteoporosis, bone, fracture, vitamin D, old women, diagnosis, treatment
About the Author
Aleksandr Kavokin, MD, PhD, http://www.kavokin.com http://www.symptomat.com Aleksandr received his MD from Russian State Medical University. Later he did his PhD in Immunology and Allergy. He did research in Cancer Biology at Medical University of South Carolina, 5 years of research in Cardiology at Yale University School of Medicine, had internship in General Surgery at Graduate Hospital in Philadelphia