Look after your bones … and your bones will look after you
Experts argue that people of all ages may now be in danger of osteoporosis and that it’s never too early to develop good habits to keep your skeleton strong
Despite the research, the crumbling bone disease – known as osteopenia in its early stages – is still mainly associated with the elderly and doesn’t carry the same fear as cancer or heart disease … but it should. Bone density grows fastest during the teenage years and up to the mid-30s and today’s lifestyle of fast food, alcohol and inactivity could be a killer combination for a generation that has never even considered bone density as a health problem.
Bone is alive and constantly renewing itself. Old, worn-out bone is broken down by cells called osteoclasts and replaced by bone-building osteoblasts. Eat a poor diet and avoid exercise and the osteoclasts will dismantle bone faster than the blasts can replace it. Holes in the skeleton grow and when there’s more hole than bone, breaks become more likely. It’s usually a fracture that alerts the doctor to the condition and they can be caused by all manner of things, even – in my case – a friendly hug!
Post-menopausal women are today’s most frequent sufferers, but one in 12 men is at risk, especially those who smoke and drink alcohol. You can also be genetically predisposed to the condition. The UK’s National Osteoporosis Society recommends that girls and young women lay down a blueprint for their future by eating a healthy, balanced diet and taking exercise and being wary of the youth culture of junk food, binge-drinking, caffeine addiction (cola, coffee and ‘energy drinks’) and yo-yo dieting. Although in Cyprus the incidence of osteoporosis has been far less among the older generation than in the UK, the young are as increasingly at risk as their urban counterparts around the world.
And then there’s stress; cortisol, the hormone released when a person is stressed, suppresses bone formation and decreases calcium absorption. And who could fail to be stressed this January when world banks are failing, when land and property values are falling and the cost of living is rising astronomically?
But the blueprint for eating yourself stronger does not have to tax the household budget; calcium rich foods include dairy, dried fruits, fresh vegetables and herbs, nuts and seeds … all readily available here year-round. Calcium also needs to work in synergy with magnesium, boron, phosphorous and vitamin D to help build bone mass and this is where supplementation is helpful. Beware, though, many formulations use calcium from a carbonate source which the body finds hard to absorb; calcium citrate/malate are the best and you’ll find it in two of the supplements pictured. The Higher Nature formula is available in local pharmacies and the Viridian Nutrition Bone Complex by mail-order (www.nutriglowexclusive.com). I also recommend BioCalth which is a unique patented product with high bio-availability when compared with standard supplements (www.BioCalth.co.uk). I also recently read of an American ‘medical food’ called Fosteum made by Primus Pharmaceuticals and will report on it when I find a source of supply.
Finally, exercise: daily weight-bearing exercise is imperative and, if your bone density is poor, think about a vibrational exercise machine as tested by the Russian astronauts. The machines used to be very large and expensive but more recently, smaller models have appeared and are suitable for use at home (www.zenlifestyles.co.uk).
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Should I query our GP’s choice of medication?
Our UK doctor prescribed Fosamax for my wife last year. As it’s making her feel quite unwell, I Googled it on the internet and discovered there are alternatives. Are we within our rights to question the prescription?
Mr PD, Mandria
If I had a euro for every prescription medication I’ve queried, I’d be wealthy!
Yes, of course question your GP’s choice of Fosamax for osteoporosis, it’s an unpleasant drug, one of the biphosphonates family which is said to help create a protective layer around the bones. Dentists abhor it and will not do procedures like implants when it’s been prescribed. My own feeling is that any medication requiring you to stay upright for half an hour after taking it (so that its acid does not damage the gullet) must have an alternative. The latest is Protelos (strontium ranelate), launched in 2004 and well-tested as effective for treatment of osteoporosis. Some side effects are documented – headache, nausea, dermatitis among them – and it’s not recommended for people with Folling’s disease (Phenylketonuria or PKU), poor renal function or venous thromboembolism.
If your wife hasn’t had a scan, I recommend she goes to a well-woman clinic (Iasis or Evangelismos) or direct to a radiologist (Dr Papageorgiou 26 944777); not knowing the state of her bone density, she puts herself at risk of a fracture or worse. Once known, she has options: getting the medication changed is just one. There are conflicting opinions about whether osteopenia – early stage osteoporosis – is treatable without prescription medication. I admit to believing that a protocol of exercise, supplementation and changes to lifestyle (as main article) can result in the disease being halted and I personally know people who have achieved this; most inspirational is Kate Lindeman whose website (www.osteopenia3.com) is an invaluable source of information. Kate’s own experience with the disease and with the treatments available is second to none; sign up to her newsletter!
Nikki’s column appears every four weeks. Please address your questions to [email protected], PO Box 21144, Nicosia. Tel: 22 818585
