It is known as the "silent disease," because it progresses without symptoms. Today, 8 million women and 2 million men live with osteoporosis in America alone, and millions more have low bone density and are therefore at risk for the disease. One in two women and one in eight men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime.
Despite these dark demographics there is much that can be done to prevent the onset of osteoporosis. Exercise and good diet habits are critical first steps in any good prevention program. Below, Dr. Paula Rackoff from the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City, discusses how to fight this disease with some simple lifestyle habits.
Q: What role do calcium and vitamin D play in osteoporosis prevention?
Calcium and vitamin D help maintain the bone density that you have, and there are some studies that show that full calcium and vitamin D supplementation can even cause a small increase in bone density. Certainly, if you do not have enough calcium and vitamin D, then you are assured of bone loss.
Q: How common are calcium and vitamin D deficiencies?
Actually, it's quite prevalent. The average American male or female only gets about 700 mg of calcium in their diet. Depending on your age, an appropriate calcium intake falls between 1000 and 1300 mg a day, so calcium deficiency is quite common. Vitamin D deficiency in young people is less common because we only need about fifteen minutes of sun exposure for the active form of ...
Copyright 2009 NBC Health
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