UNBREAKABLE – The OC Podcast : Bone Health + Osteoporosis

Menopause affects at least half the population and is often not discussed openly leading to many myths and misconceptions. As a result, too many women enter menopause uninformed and unprepared. Dr. Nese Yuksel is a full Professor with the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the College of Health Sciences at the University of Alberta. Additionally, she holds a cross-appointment at the Multidisciplinary Bone Health Clinic at the University of Alberta Hospital. She has been practicing in the areas of menopause and osteoporosis for over 20 years and is a NAMS Certified Menopause Practitioner. In this episode, Dr. Yuksel discusses the stages of menopause, how menopause impacts women’s health including bone health, and more.

Dr. Andrea Josse received her doctoral degree in exercise physiology and nutrition from the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University and then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at The University of Toronto. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science, Faculty of Health, York University. In this podcast, Dr. Josse as a nutritional scientist and exercise physiologist, will discuss the impact of dieting on bone health and encourages making sustainable choices over the long term for positive health outcomes.

Shelly Hagen is a Registered Dietitian and is a member of Osteoporosis Canada’s Scientific Advisory Council (SAC). She currently works as an Educator in the Women’s Wellness Program at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta facilitating menopause and osteoporosis group education sessions, and working one-on-one with patients to make well informed health decisions concerning menopause and osteoporosis management.  In this podcast Shelly discusses the connection between Celiac Disease and Osteoporosis and how to manage one’s bone health when diagnosed with this autoimmune disease.

Dr. Claudia Gagnon is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at Université Laval and a clinician-researcher scholar of the Fonds de recherche en santé du Québec. She is also active as a member of the Osteoporosis Canada (OC) Scientific Advisory Council. Dr. Gagnon’s research focuses on the impact of obesity, diabetes and their treatments (in particular bariatric surgery) on bone health. In this podcast she discusses why both men and women with diabetes are at higher risk for low bone density and for osteoporotic fractures.

Dr. Debra Butt is an Associate Professor and Clinician Scientist in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. She is also active as a member of the Osteoporosis Canada (OC) Scientific Advisory Council and the OC Clinical Practice Guidelines Working Group for Exercise in Individuals at Risk of Fracture. In this podcast she discusses why people fracture as a result of osteoporosis, what to expect after a break and how to avoid future broken bones.

Dr. Susan Whiting is one of Canada’s leading nutrition scholars and an internationally recognized authority on vitamin D and calcium supplementation. A Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Nutrition at the University of Saskatchewan and a member of Osteoporosis Canada’s Scientific Advisory Council, Dr. Whiting’s research looks at the dietary influences on bone health in children and adults. In this podcast she speaks to the importance of calcium and bone health.

After having eight fractures Larry Funnell was diagnosed at the age of 48. He was shocked when his doctor told him he had osteoporosis because like many others, he didn’t think the disease affected men. Larry shares his story to raise awareness and educate men on their risk of osteoporosis.

Professor Wendy Ward is a kinesiology and health sciences professor at Brock University, a Canada Research Chair in bone and muscle development and a member of Osteoporosis Canada’s Scientific Advisory Council. Professor Ward speaks about Vitamin D which is sometimes called the “sunshine vitamin” and is critical to your overall wellness including having a big impact on your bone health.

Visiting an osteoporosis clinic for the first time can seem intimidating, especially if you don’t know what to expect. Dr. Lianne Tile, a general internist, is the medical director of the University Health Network Osteoporosis Clinic and a member of Osteoporosis Canada’s Scientific Advisory Council. Dr. Tile shares what a patient can expect and how to prepare for their first visit to an osteoporosis clinic.

When Christine Thomas was only 42 years old, she bent down to pick up her newborn daughter – fracturing her spine. That fracture led to the discovery that Christine had been living with undetected osteoporosis. Since then, she has become an author, advocate, volunteer and speaker who shares her osteoporosis story to help others.