Women's Health Wednesday: Osteoporosis Awareness
ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) - Women are four times more likely than men, to develop Osteoporosis. This is a weakening of the bone, specifically the structure of the bone itself.
May is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month.
In this week's Women's Health Wednesday, Albany Medical Center Endocrinologist, Dr. Nira Madisi shares some insight.
She says, "If you have an osteoporotic hip fracture, those carry a 30% risk of death over the next 12 months." And for those who survive, their quality of life can suffer.
Women typically have thinner, less dense bones, than men. They also tend to lose the most bone density in the 2-3 years that follow menopause because of the drop in estrogen. But pregnant women will see benefits in their bone density because of the increase in estrogen levels.
Osteoporosis Risk Factors:
- 50-85% of your risk comes from family history
- Smoking
- Alcohol use (3 or more glasses a day)
- History of rheumatoid arthritis
- Steroid use for 3 or more months
To improve bone density, Dr. Madisi says, to make sure you have a calcium rich diet (1200 mg a day), vitamin D (1,000-4,000 IU a day), exercise, and keep clear walkways to avoid the risk of falling.