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7 Common Myths About Osteoporosis

You’re not the same person you were 10 years ago.

In the span of a decade, most people experience changes in their personal life, career, style and – bone structure? Yes, your bones are constantly at work clearing out old bone cells and making new ones in their place, resulting in an entirely new skeleton every 10 years.

Unfortunately, as people age, bones break down faster than they are replaced, which can cause them to become thin and fragile. For millions of Americans, a disease called osteoporosis leads to a progressive loss of bone mass over time, putting them at an increased risk for bone fractures and other complications.

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“Osteoporosis can result in disability, loss of independence, even death,” says Liselle Douyon, M.D., an endocrinologist at the University of Michigan Health System. The disease is considered a major public health threat for an estimated 44 million Americans, and roughly 10 million already have the disease. While osteoporosis is quite common, Douyon says it is still a condition that is widely misunderstood.

To help people understand who is at risk for the disease, as well as ways to prevent and treat it, Douyon clears up some common myths about osteoporosis.

7 myths – and facts – about osteoporosis

1. MYTH: Only women get osteoporosis
FACT: “Although there are many more women who may develop this condition, there’s also a very significant portion of men who have this disease,” Douyon says. In fact, roughly 2 million men suffer from osteoporosis, accounting for 20 percent of those diagnosed with the disease.

2. MYTH: Osteoporosis is a normal part of aging
FACT: “It is a fact that you lose bone density with aging,” agrees Douyon. “But you should continue to have good bone strength, and you should not develop osteoporosis.”

3. MYTH: Osteoporosis is only a concern for the elderly
FACT: It is never too early to begin thinking about strong bones. “Good bone health is something that starts early in life,” says Douyon. Your bones begin building density from infancy through young adulthood. Most people have reached maximum bone density by age 35. “If maximum bone density is not achieved during that time, you will be at risk for developing osteoporosis,” Douyon cautions.

4. MYTH: Osteoporosis is strictly hereditary
FACT: While women with a family history of osteoporosis are at an increased risk of developing the disease, “not having a family history does not mean that you are immune to having this condition,” says Douyon. Everyone is susceptible. However, there are several factors that can make an individual more likely to develop osteoporosis. “Certain kidney diseases, vitamin D deficiency, some hormonal diseases such as some thyroid disorders, Cushing’s syndrome, individuals who are treated with steroids for certain medical conditions, and certain types of cancer can contribute to osteoporosis,” she says.

5. MYTH: Broken bones are the only way to tell if you have osteoporosis
FACT: Because osteoporosis has no symptoms, most people are not aware that they have it until something happens, like a bone fracture. However, this is not the only indicator of the disease. “Even people who don’t have broken bones may develop osteoporosis. Many people may not even know they had a broken bone, and they may develop a change in their posture or a loss in height,” Douyon explains. To help determine whether bone loss has begun, it is important to get a bone density test every few years, especially for women who have entered menopause. The most common method of measuring bone density is a DEXA scan, which is a painless X-ray of your hip and spine.

6. MYTH: Osteoporosis cannot be prevented
FACT: Building strong bones during childhood and adolescence is the best defense against developing osteoporosis later in life. Adults can take steps too to lower their risk of developing the disease. “In order to prevent osteoporosis, it’s very important that one has adequate nutrition, good calcium intake, exercise, and adequate vitamin D supplementation,” says Douyon.

Weight-bearing exercises such as walking, jogging, lifting weights and dancing are the best for building strong bones. People who already have osteoporosis should avoid these exercises, as they increase the risk of breaking a bone. Calcium intake is very important, too. Douyon recommends calcium supplementation throughout the entire lifespan, especially for women. Avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol intake also will lower your chances of developing osteoporosis.

7. MYTH: Only osteoporosis medications can prevent future bone loss
FACT: The FDA has approved certain medications to prevent and/or treat the disease. “Medications alone, however, do not help to build bone,” Douyon cautions. “It’s only one of the things that can be done in order to rebuild or prevent future bone loss.” Most of the drugs inhibit the cells that break down bone, and one actually stimulates the growth of new bone. Unfortunately, these drugs haven’t been available for very long, so their long-term effects are not known and people should not rely on them alone.

“People who are on medications for osteoporosis still have to take calcium and vitamin D,” says Douyon. In addition, “For some women, over-the-counter calcium isn’t enough. They need more than that, and this is something they really need to discuss with their doctor.”

For more information, visit these Web sites:

UMHS Health Topics A-Z: Osteoporosis: http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/guide/osteo.htm

National Osteoporosis Foundation: http://www.nof.org

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

20 Million Chickens Kept Off U.S Market Pending Inspection of Feed

About 20 million chickens won't be heading to market next week after federal officials placed them on hold Friday because their feed contained an industrial chemical.

According to the Associated Press, the chickens may still go to market, but a weekend risk assessment needed to be made first. This includes: the absence of melamine (the chemical in question) in feed used by the larger chicken producers; whether the pet food has been diluted with larger amounts of other ingredients in the feed; how healthy the chickens are that ate the feed; no evidence that the trace amounts of melamine would harm humans.

The wire service says officials from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are overseeing the risk assessment in wake of millions of units of pet food being recalled during the past two months because of the presence of melamine.

Melamine, which was introduced in a gluten additive from China, is believed to have been the agent that caused the deaths of thousands of dogs and cats, primarily from liver failure.

The names of the producers whose chickens were in question weren't announced Friday, but the A.P. said that the 20 million fowl in question was a small fraction of the 9 billion chickens consumed in the United States every year. Nevertheless, USDA spokesperson Keith Wlliams is quoted by the wire service as saying, "Absent the risk assessment in this particular situation, USDA will not put the seal of inspection on this meat."

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FDA Issues Guidelines to Test for Antifreeze Substance Sometimes Found in Cough Syrup

The lethal combination of a sweetener used in many cough medicines with an antifreeze chemical has prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue what it calls a "guidance" to medical professionals, drug companies, suppliers and drug repackers.

While emphasizing that the agency has received no new reports of deaths because glycerin and diethylene glycol (DEG) were found in medicications such as cough syrup, the FDA Friday issued guidelines for testing to see if these two substances are combined in any pharmaceutical products. DEG, a solvent, has been associated with many accidental deaths.

Last September, more than 40 people in Panama died because of DEG-contimated glycerin in cough syrup, the FDA says, and a similar incident occurred in Haiti in late 1995-1996, when 80 children died because of the same lethal combination in cough syrup.

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Feeling Useful Boosts Older Adults' Physical Ability

Feeling useful appears to improve older adults' physical functioning, according to a U.S. study to be presented Friday at the annual scientific meeting of the American Geriatrics Society.

Researchers analyzed data on more than 900 people, ages 70 to 79. They found that feeling useful led to improvements in "performance-based" physical functioning, which includes coordination, balance, gait, and upper and lower limb strength.

The participants underwent physical performance tests and were asked about their feelings of usefulness at the start of the study and again three years later. The study was conducted by researchers at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Missouri and the University of California, Los Angeles Medical School.

"Compared to older adults who frequently felt useful to others (at the start of the study), those who never or rarely did had greater declines in physical performance ability," the study authors wrote. "However, increases in feelings of usefulness were also associated with an improvement in physical performance."

Previous research found that older adults with low feelings of usefulness are more likely to suffer declines in physical ability and to die over a seven-year-period.

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High-Dose Radiotherapy Benefits Prostate Cancer Patients

Compared with standard-dose radiotherapy, high-dose radiotherapy lowers the risk of cancer recurrence and reduces the need for additional hormone treatment in prostate cancer patients, says a U.K. study published online in The Lancet medical journal.

"However, the higher radiation dose did slightly increase bowel side effects," chief investigator David Dearnaley of the Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospitals in Sutton, said in a prepared statement.

The study included 843 prostate cancer patients who received either a standard dose of radiotherapy (64 Gy) or a higher dose (74 Gy).

Dearnaley said "the dose increase was made possible by using a new more precise radiation treatment method called conformal radiotherapy."

He noted that the "trial is important in emphasizing the advantage of higher dose radiotherapy but also the need to continue to improve radiation techniques."

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Blood Test Predicts Bone Marrow Transplant Complications

A simple blood test that may allow doctors to detect and treat bone marrow transplant complications up to two weeks sooner than is currently possible has been developed by Australian researchers.

This new test is designed to help doctors predict which patients will get graft versus host disease (GVHD), a complication that occurs when transplanted marrow attacks the patient's body, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

GVHD is a problem in 85 percent of bone marrow transplants. The earlier it's detected, the easier it is to manage and cure.

The new test checks for levels of active cells in the blood called dendritic cells. The more dendritic cells, the greater the risk of developing GVHD.

"This is the very first time that we've been able to, in bone marrow transplantation, predict, before it happens, which patients will get acute graft versus host disease," researcher Prof. Derek Hart, director of the Mater Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, told the ABC.

The research appears in the journal Transplantation. The new blood test will now be tested in a two-year international study.

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U.N. Climate Change Report Approved

A report on worldwide measures needed to cut rising rates of greenhouse gas emissions was approved Friday by international delegates at a conference in Bangkok, Thailand, the Associated Press reported.

The document is a summary of a massive study by a U.N. network of 2,000 scientists. It states that countries around the world must develop biofuels, improve fuel efficiency, use renewable energy, and take other actions to make major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

The world has the technology and money needed to take decisive action in time to prevent a disastrous increase in global temperatures, the report said. Scientists say such a temperature spike could wipe out many species, raise ocean levels, cause floods in some places and droughts in others, and result in serious economic damage, the AP reported.

In order to prevent global temperatures from rising more than 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit over preindustrial levels, nations must stabilize the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by 2015, the document said.

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(SOURCES: Ahmedin Jemal, D.V.M., Ph.D., strategic director for cancer surveillance, American Cancer Society, Atlanta; Roshan Bastani, Ph.D., professor and associate dean for research, and associate director for cancer prevention and control, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles; May 3, 2007, Breast Cancer Research, online)

SATURDAY, May 5 (HealthDay News) -- The decline in U.S. breast cancer cases is caused not only by fewer women using hormone replacement therapy but also by the use of mammography screening, new research suggests.

"Two distinct patterns are observed in breast cancer trends," wrote Dr. Ahmedin Jemal, strategic director for cancer surveillance for the American Cancer Society, in a report published in the May 3 online edition of the journal Breast Cancer Research.

After colleagues presented an abstract at a breast cancer symposium that attributed the 7 percent decline in U.S. breast cancer cases in the years 2002 to 2003 to the reduced use of hormone replacement therapy, Jemal's team decided to look at an older data base.

The researchers who linked the decline to reduced hormone use looked at a large data base from 2002 and 2003 called SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results). In 2002, a large federally funded trial -- part of the Women's Health Initiative -- was halted when evidence emerged of an increased risk of heart disease and breast cancer due to hormone therapy.

After that, women in large numbers went off their hormone replacement regimens.

But Jemal's team looked at older SEER data bases, from 1975 to 2003. The researchers looked at breast cancer incidence rates by tumor size, tumor stage, and whether the tumor was estrogen-receptor positive or negative among women who were age 40 or older in the years studied.

They found that the decline in breast cancer cases also dropped prior to the 2002-2003 SEER data, although the decrease was less dramatic -- about 5 percent between 1999 and 2000 there was a 5 percent drop, according to Jemal.

"The point is breast cancer started to decrease before 2002," Jemal said. And screening mammograms were the reason, he added.

The decline in breast cancer rates directly attributed to mammography, he said, has now leveled off.

"The message for women over 40 is still, they should get a mammogram every year so the tumor [if there is one] can be detected," Jemal said.

The new study is "a more nuanced analysis," said Roshan Bastani, professor and associate dean for research at the University of California, Los Angeles, and associate director for cancer prevention and control at the university's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. "It shows there were declines in breast cancer that started before the recent declines."

While from a public health perspective a plateau may have been reached when it comes to the benefits of screening mammography, Bastani added, it's still crucial for women over age 40 to keep their mammogram appointments. "About 75 percent of [U.S.] women are getting screened. That has not changed since 1999," she said.

More information

To learn more about breast cancer, visit the American Cancer Society.