Osteoporosis - any good news?

nappentass

Ted_Hutchinson wrote:

Calcium and vitamin D intake and risk of incident premenstrual syndrome.
Vitamin d Chronic Pain research

Ted - You are a star, thank you

Jill

new_leaf_6

Thanks to you all for replying to my original post. Very interesting and informative ones. My mother also has high blood pressure and a blood clotting condition (too many platelets). Maybe this has contributed to her having osteoporosis. Much more research needed.

Savvy_Sue

DH has just been diagnosed with OP, fortunately before any symptoms have developed. Got a letter from the endocrinologist, saying that they've got the results of his bone scan, and they will discuss treatment when they see him next week.

So this is quite timely, I always like to be well informed rather than blindly trusting ...

Interesting that the NICE guidelines seem to be for post-menopausal women, and I remember that some time last year a chap was having a rant in our local paper because the local PCT didn't want to fund treatment for him because he was male not female. Rather hoping that they've changed their practice since then, although for DH the issue may be low testosterone so they may want to treat that first.

Obviously we can't blame the contraceptive pill or HRT, but he has been using topical steroids all his life for eczema, also taken short courses in tablet form when it's flared up very badly, and he's been inhaling steroids for asthma for most of his life. Plus he had a very restricted diet as a child, we tried him on a dairy free diet for a couple of years in his 20s, don't suppose that has helped.

Good job he likes sardines ...

achtunglady

Hi, my mum was diagnosed as having osteoporosis, she got it diagnosed abroad, as her doctor here kept fobbing her off saying her symptoms were old age (shes only 72). She started to develop a dowagers hump and had sporadic pain. She had a bone density scan and brought the xray results to her doctor and insisted that he took notice as she had saved the nhs money by not having been refered to a uk specialist.
She was prescribed a tablet called ACTONEL which she takes once a week, (i think its a calcium supplement) she drinks soya milk, eats lots of oily fish and generally does not skimp on her food. She also spends time out in the sunlight to increase her vitamin d levels and goes to aqua aerobics once a week. After two years, I am glad to say that her bone density has returned to normal, but she still has to take things easy.
I am a bit concerned for myself as I have breastfed my two children each for a year, does this coupled with the fact that my mum had it mean i am at risk too? I'm 35,not on any contraceptive pills or other medication?

Ted_Hutchinson

achtunglady wrote:

She also spends time out in the sunlight to increase her vitamin d levels

while this will build reserves during the summer you do have to be aware that the older your skin is the less well it creates Vitamin d. You also have to know that during the winter you need to intake more vitamin d than can be obtained from diet or available UK sunshine and so will need to supplement at a rate that meets your daily need as detailed HERE.

BIO-TECH Pharmacal Inc. provide an appropriate strength vitamin d3 cholecalciferol capsule at a reasonable price. Buying from the USA will cost no more than £8.50 to stay vitamin d replete through the Winter.

I am a bit concerned for myself as I have breastfed my two children each for a year, does this coupled with the fact that my mum had it mean i am at risk too? I'm 35,not on any contraceptive pills or other medication?

Risk factors for oestoporosis from NOF.......Sunlight Robbery - Health Research Forum provides FREE downloadable detailed guidance on the importance of SAFE SUN EXPOSURE for you and your family to ensure your vitamin d status is kept at safe healthy status (reducing but not eliminating the risk of MS by up to 40% and the risk of 17 cancers by on average 29%) and keeping your vitamin d status at that level through the Winter will need cholecalciferol vit d3 supplements at a rate which equals your daily usage.

Some 40% of women and 13% of men suffer fractures of the spine, hip or wrist that may be largely attributed to osteoporosis. Between 10 and 20% of people die within six months of a hip fracture and 50% of those who havesuffered a hip fracture are unable to walk again without assistance.

In the UK the cost of hip fractures alone is more than £1.7 billion per year.

Critique of the Considerations for Establishing Tolerable Upper Intake Levels for Vitamin D

The case against ergocalciferol (vitamin D2) as a vitamin ... is the reason not to buy Vit d from Zipvit or Simply Supplements

PS the existing literature reveals that there is a positive relationship between breastfeeding and decreased risk of breast cancer, cancer of the ovarian epithelium, and osteoporosis leading to hip fracture. Some studies suggest the effect of breastfeeding on the decreasing risk of rheumatoid arthritis, others mention the relation between breastfeeding and faster loss of weight gained during the gestational period. Several studies show how breastfeeding interferes on the onset of postnatal menstruation and consequent birth spacing. CONCLUSIONS: Breastfeeding provides important benefits for the women's health, such as reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer, decreased risks of hip fractures and contribution to the increase of birth spacing.

Note The above research comes from a sunnier latitude than us.
Physical activity in the prevention and amelioration of osteoporosis in women :