Are you at risk for Osteoporosis?



What factors contribute to Osteoporosis?  Osteoporosis can be completely prevented and stopped if you follow a healthy calcium-rich diet, do physical activity daily, and get tested.

However, the following risk-factors contribute towards Osteoporosis:

• I’m older than 65
• I’ve broken a bone after age 50
• My close relative has osteoporosis or has broken a bone
• My health is “fair” or “poor”
• I smoke
• I am underweight for my height
• I started menopause before age 45
• I’ve never gotten enough Calcium
• I have more than two drinks of alcohol several times a week
• I have poor vision, even with glasses
• I sometimes fall
• I’m not physically active
• I have one of the these medical conditions:
  • Hyperthyroidism
  • Chronic lung disease
  • Cancer
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Chronic hepatic or renal disease
  • Vitamin D deficiency
  • Cushing’s disease
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
• I take one of these medications:
  • Oral glucocorticoids (steroids)
  • Cancer treatments (radiation, chemotherapy)
  • Thyroid medicine
  • Antiepileptic medications
  • Gonadal hormone suppression
  • Immunosuppressive agents
• I have:
  • Rickets and osteomalacia
  • Kidney disease
  • Paget’s disease of bone
  • Genetic abnormalities
  • Endocrine disorders

In some cases, Osteoporosis is caused or contributed by other diseases.  If your doctor has diagnosed you with any of these conditions, you want to definitely get tested for Osteoporosis, and make every effort to follow a healthy calcium-rich diet, and do physical activity daily.

Citation
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A Report of the Surgeon General. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2004