Our Dr Sarah has all the latest news and advice regarding osteoperosis.

Having osteoporosis means that your bones are less strong than they should be. Often called “thinning of the bones”, your bones don’t shrink but they’re less dense and so more fragile. More than 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over 50 will break a bone at some ppoint due to osteoporosis – that’s over half a million fractures due to the condition every year in the UK.

Bones are constantly changing. Made up of tough connective tissue fibres which form a scaffolding housing minerals (especially calcium), they grow with you until adulthood. But even after that, bo one material is co onstantly being lost an nd replaced. After your mid-30s, m you replace bone b less quickly than it t’s reabsorbed, and this process p speeds up after th he menopause.

Osteoporosis makes you y more prone to breaking b a bone (particularly hip or wrist) after a minor tumble. It can also cause the bones in your spine to crush, leading to pain and curving forward of the spine. You won’t know you have it unless you break a bone or have a bone scan, so it’s crucial we all take steps to avoid it.

There are lots of risk factors for osteoporosis that you can do something about. For instance, drinking more than 4 units of alcohol a day (half a bottle of wine or 2 pints of beer) greatly increases your risk of osteoporosis. To reduce your risk, stick to 2 units a day at most. And yes, this is another reason to quit if you smoke.

Your diet has a huge impact on your risk of osteoporosis too. Getting enough calcium in your diet is more important than ever after the menopause – while most adults should get about 800mg a day, if you have osteoporosis you should have about 1000mg and if you’ve gone through the menopause, 1200mg a day.

An ounce of Cheddar cheese contains about 200mg and half a pint of milk has 350mg. Cottage cheese, yogurt and any other dairy foods are rich in calcium; so are canned fish with bones, and tofu. Some vegetables (spring greens, spinach, kale, okra) are high in calcium, as are some beans and pulses. You can also look for calcium-enriched bread, soya milk or orange juice.

Getting enough vitamin D is also key. It’s the one vitamin it’s almost impossible to get enough of through diet alone – about 90% of vitamin D is made in the body through the

REGULAR WEIGHT-BEARING EXERCISE (ANYTHING EXCEPT SWIMMING OR CYCLING) REDUCES YOUR RISK OF OSTEOPOROSIS

action of sunlight on the skin. But 15-20 minutes a day in full sunlight from April-October with arms and face uncovered (never stay out long enough to burn) will help. Doctors in the UK recommend everyone takes a vitamin D supplement of 10 micrograms a day in autumn and winter. If you’re over 65, don’t get outside or uncover much, are pregnant or breastfeeding or have risk factors for osteoporosis, you should take this all year round.

As well as all the benefits for your heart and lungs, regular weight-bearing exercise can help ward off osteoporosis. From your 50s, you should combine aerobic exercise with “resistance” exercises for individual muscle groups – squats, push-ups, light weights etc. Exercise also lessens your risk of falls, so you’re less likely to break a bone.

IF OSTEOPOROSIS RUNS IN YOUR FAMILY, SPEAK TO YOUR GP TO SEE IF YOU NEED A BONE SCAN TO CHECK IF YOUR BONES ARE THIN

Some risk factors for osteoporosis you can’t change – going through menopause before the age of 45; a parent or sibling who has osteoporosis; medical conditions including chronic liver or kidney disease, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, coeliac disease or inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis); conditions that seriously limit your mobility or keep you wheelchair-bound; some medication for breast cancer; and needing to take steroid tablets for three months or more.

But even here, there’s action you can take. Use the lifestyle tips above and speak to your GP about whether you need regular medication to help protect your bones.

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