Osteoporosis & Osteopenia

Folate has also been in the news regarding its role in osteoporosis. What is folate? How much should I take, and why? Folate , also called folic acid, is well known for its role in...

I’ve also been told that I must increase my intake of vitamin D. Should I take a separate vitamin D supplement, or can I get enough through eating the right foods? Calcium alone won’t make...

There’s always a lot of emphasis on eating dairy products for calcium. I can’t drink milk or eat cheese because I have lactose intolerance. What can I do to get the calcium necessary for my...

Is there any particular time of day that makes calcium more effective? Should I take it before meals, with meals, or between meals? Depending on the type of calcium supplements you take, you may want...

A diet rich in calcium will make it less likely that you will need calcium supplementation. Dairy sources of calcium include milk (all types, from skim to whole to buttermilk), yogurt, and cheese (varies with...

My clinician has encouraged me to take calcium supplements. There are so many kinds of calcium. How do I know I’m taking the right kind and the right amount? Calcium is one of the cornerstones...

I have been in postmenopause for 5 years. I’ve always been faithful about exercise, weight-training, and taking my calcium, and yet I’ve recently been told that I have osteopenia. Why didn’t doing these things prevent...

I’m 60 years old and was recently diagnosed with osteoporosis. I’ve never exercised regularly, but I’ve heard that walking is the best exercise for someone like me. Is that true? Because you are still able...

Are there any exercises that I should avoid? Yoga and tai chi are great exercises, but are they helpful for preventing or treating osteoporosis? If you have never skied, ice skated, or roller bladed, don’t...

If you have been leading a sedentary lifestyle, start an exercise program after you have discussed it with your clinician. Then, start by changing your attitude first. Do small things that will change your activity...

It doesn’t matter how old you are—exercise is important to your overall health. An increase in exercise can decrease your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, breast cancer, and colon cancer. Exercise will...

If you have osteopenia, then your T-score is 1 to 2.5 standard deviations below the bone density of the aver-age healthy young adult. Given a score in that range, your bone mass is somewhere between...

What Happens Next? Once you have been sent for BMD testing, it’s a good idea to investigate management options for osteopenia and osteoporosis. If your results are abnormal, you and your clinician can select the...

In the case of osteoporosis, biochemical “markers” are chemical substances that indicate bone turnover. When osteoclasts (the cells of bone resorption; see Question 4) break down the collagen in bone, byproducts of this breakdown (for...

Or can my primary care provider or my gynecology clinician manage my case? Sometimes, BMD testing sites have their own clinicians. They are familiar with the BMD testing equipment and interpreting the results. You may...

Because fractures are the biggest problem associated with osteoporosis, it is important to know what your results say about your risk for fracture. It’s also important to know that there is risk to fracturing your...

If my tests show osteoporosis in my hip, what is the likelihood that I have bone loss in other bones? Does osteoporosis ever affect the skull bone? If your hip shows osteoporosis, it is likely...

If my BMD test results are normal, when should I be screened again? If my test results show either osteopenia or osteoporosis, when should my test be repeated? If your BMD results are normal, you...

Should I get a copy of the results of the testing? Your clinician may get your bone density test results immediately, but more often than not, test results are available from 1 to 3 weeks...

A T-score, expressed in standard deviations, will be reported to your clinician, and your score will be evaluated using the WHO guidelines. If you are a post-menopausal woman or a man over 50, most machines...

A Z-score matches your bone mineral density with individuals of the same age, gender, and ethnicity. The following formula is used to determine your Z-score: Patient’s BMD – BMD age-matched normal reference Standard deviation of...

The results of your BMD tests will most likely be expressed as a T-score, which uses a mathematical formula and assigns your bone density results either a positive or negative number. Normally, density would be...

When my clinician orders the tests, how soon should they be done? If my provider can’t schedule my tests for 6 weeks after they’re ordered, is that OK? Although many tables have a pad, some...

I’ve heard that x-rays of my teeth can be an indicator for osteoporosis. Is that true? It is important to keep up with your oral health check-ups throughout your entire life. When you go to...

If I’m x-rayed for a broken bone, will osteoporosis, if I have it, show up on the x-ray? If it shows up on the  x-ray, would I need further testing? If you have advanced osteoporosis...