For those with an osteoporosis diagnosis, it is not uncommon to feel anxious about health and lifestyle changes that might be necessary. But what about your friends and family? How does this affect them? How can they be part of your team and help you build better bones? Christine Thomas discusses the impact on family and friends and strategies for all of those around you who are affected.
Everyone is looking for new meal ideas and we are taking two classic recipes and combining them into one easy and delicious dinner. Using items from your freezer and pantry this one-pot Skillet Perogy Shepherd’s Pie is easy to make and has 175 mg calcium and 27g protein per serving.
Bone is made up of calcium, other minerals and protein, a nutrient that is necessary for building and repairing body tissues, including bones. Protein is an important nutrient for bone health and in the prevention of osteoporosis. It gives bone its strength and flexibility and is also the big component of muscles, which are, of course, crucial for mobility and in preventing falls.
This cooking webinar showcases meal ideas using beef, an excellent source of protein. Learn how to make One-Pot Skillet Perogy Shepherd’s Pie with Emily Richards, Professional Home Economist.
Throughout a full life with family and a demanding career, I did my best to stay fit, eat well and keep on top of health issues. But I did not think at all about bone density issues, even though I learned much later that I had a family history of osteoporosis.
When I was in my late 40s, I had the great good fortune to be referred to a wonderful gynecologist, who sent me for bone mineral density tests. I was under his care for about 14 years and I know that he had a transformative impact on my life. The other good stroke of luck I had was to be referred to the Bone Density Program (now the Centre for Osteoporosis and Bone Health) at Women’s College Hospital (WC) in Toronto.
It was then I first learned that I had bone density issues and would need to do all I could to manage this for the rest of my life. I wanted to avoid the serious effects not doing so could have on my health, mobility, independence and quality of life. I learned that I had osteopenia (now called low bone mass), a condition that begins as you lose bone mass and your bones start to get weaker. I learned that it is very common as you age. And I learned that people who have osteopenia are at a higher risk of having osteoporosis. But I was determined to try to stop my bones from deteriorating further if I possibly could.
So what did I do? And how have I tried to deal with this over the last 20 plus years?
First of all, I tried to find out all that I could about osteoporosis and bone density, to really understand what was happening to my bones and to understand how I could try to manage my own condition. I found an excellent source of information and self-management advice online at the Osteoporosis Canada website.
I knew I had to focus on diet, exercise and regular monitoring of my bone density. I drink lots of milk and eat yogurt, canned salmon with the bones, leafy greens and lots of fruit and vegetables. I try to make sure that I have protein at each meal through my day. I’m pretty good at managing my caffeine intake to the recommended level though not always as good at keeping to the recommendation on wine intake! I eat very little added salt or sugar and try to follow Osteoporosis Canada’s recommendations on calcium (getting it from my diet) and Vitamin D (through daily supplementation). Magnesium, vitamin K and potassium are also good for bone health. I try to get these through my diet. I’m really lucky that these are my favourite types of foods anyway, which makes it easier. And I’ll own up to never meeting a good French fry I didn’t like and potato chips are a big weakness!
I try to stay very active and to focus on weight-bearing high impact exercise. I love walking with my dog, Poppy, and usually find through my Fitbit that I walk between 12,000 and 15,000 steps in a regular day. I play tennis when I can and ski in the winter. And I do try to include both core work and strength training with free weights or using my body weight in my regular workouts. Sometimes I don’t get to those workouts when I’m really busy, to be truthful, but I know how important these are so I always seem to get back on track!
For many years, I took an osteoporosis medication on the recommendation of my doctor but then came off it some years ago when my bone density seemed to stabilize. I try to stay up to date on new available drugs.
Sometimes, in spite of all this, I have been discouraged when I lost bone mass from bone mineral density (BMD) test to BMD test. My husband Tom was great when this happened. He would say: “Just think how much worse it would have been if you did not do all the things you do to help yourself!” And, of course, he was right.
So where am I now after all these years of trying to manage my bone density challenges? As of my last test in October 2020, my results proved that my bone density has remained generally stable – which puts me in the low to moderate fracture risk category. This is great news for me, since when my mother was in her 70s, she broke her pelvis as a result of low bone density. My mother did not have the great advantage of the knowledge that is available to us all now. But I do and I plan to try my best to have this come out differently for me.
In summary, what is working for me are a bone healthy diet; regular weight-bearing exercise along with strength training; ongoing consults with my healthcare provider; and keeping up to date and taking advantage of the excellent information available on Osteoporosis Canada’s website.
For those living with osteoporosis, there are a variety of treatment options available. The primary goal of treatment is to prevent or slow bone loss and reduce the risk of fracture.
Everyone is different – some people respond better to one drug than another, while some experience side effects that others don’t. It’s important to speak to your doctor to assess the benefits and risks of each treatment, and determine which is best for you.
Dr. Teri Charrois, BScPharm, MSc, EdD shares information on the top 5 things that you should know about osteoporosis and medications:
· How do medications work · How to take medications to make sure they work · What side effects do we worry about · What medications can cause bone loss or fractures · What medications can increase your risk of falls
Osteoporosis Canada is saddened to announce the passing of Dr. Harry K. Genant, internationally renowned for his ground-breaking research in non-invasive and quantitative imaging methods for osteoporosis, arthritis and orthopedics.
The Osteoporosis Canada family extends its heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the late Dr. Genant.
You can view the tribute for Harry K. Genant, MD from the University of California, San Francisco Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging here.
In small communities sometimes not all healthcare resources for assessing bone health are available. Join our panel as they discuss how you can get the information and access to the tools and resources you need to make informed decisions to reduce your risk and manage osteoporosis. The webinar panel will also provide information on exercise and nutrition to help keep your bones strong and healthy especially during COVID-19.
Make no bones about it – you need protein in addition to calcium and vitamin D for strong and healthy bones.
Bone is made up of calcium, other minerals and protein, a nutrient that is necessary for building and repairing body tissues, including bones. Protein is an important nutrient for bone health and in the prevention of osteoporosis. It gives bone its strength and flexibility and is also the big component of muscles, which are, of course, crucial for mobility and in preventing falls.
This cooking webinar showcases meal ideas using beef, an excellent source of protein. Learn how to make Stuffed Holiday Beef Roast with Emily Richards, Professional Home Economist.
Dr. Suzanne Morin has been named a member of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of the Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis Advisory Board.
In this capacity Dr. Morin will participate in discussions, research priority setting and strategic planning to promote Musculoskeletal health for Canadians.
Dr. Morin is the Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, member of the divisions of General Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Clinical Epidemiology and scientist at the Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center. She is co-director of the Clinical Scholar Program for the General Internal Medicine training program and is a member of Osteoporosis Canada’s Scientific Advisory Council (SAC).
The CIHR is Canada’s federal funding agency for health research. Composed of 13 Institutes, the CIHR collaborates with partners and researchers to support the discoveries and innovations that improve our health and strengthen the Canadian health care system.
This report provides a national overview on diagnosed osteoporosis, related fractures and the osteoporosis care gap among Canadians 40 years and older. It reports on administrative data from the Canadian Chronic Disease Surveillance System (CCDSS), including trend data spanning a surveillance period of 15 years, from 2000-2001 to 2015-2016.
Here are some important excerpts from the PHAC report:
“the absolute number of fractures of the forearm, hip, spine, humerus and pelvis increased over the 15-year surveillance period (from 95,000 in 2000-2001 to 132,000 in 2015-2016)”. Go to page 35.
“Almost one-quarter (227.5 per 1,000 or 22.8%) of those who fractured a hip in 2014-2015 died of any cause within the following 12 months.” Go to page 36.
“While women were 2 times more likely to fracture their hip, men were 1.3 times more likely to die of any cause within 12 months following their hip fracture.” Go to page 36.
“A key finding of this report is that despite well-established clinical practice guidelines and initiatives to promote osteoporosis care, screening and treatment initiation rates following a fracture remain very low in Canada.” Go to page 53.
“Within one year of fracture, less than 20% received an osteoporosis diagnosis, underwent a BMD test or received a prescription for an osteoporosis-related medication.” Go to page 39.
“Irrespective of fracture site, men were less likely to receive a prescription than women.” Go to page 44.
“Given the success of secondary fracture prevention and the resulting cost-saving benefits, increasing accessibility to FLS across the country may help to close the existing osteoporosis care gap.” Go to page 46.
We urge you to read this very compelling and fact-based report regarding the state of osteoporosis care for Canadians who suffer a fracture. It is available here.