This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Shelli Ciandella about reducing the risk of osteoporosis. Dr. Ciandella is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics and Physical Medicine and a non-surgical sports medicine physician at MUSC.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. In the U.S. an estimated 10 million people aged 50 years and older have osteoporosis. Doctor Shelli Ciandella is here to talk about this condition and also tips for prevention. Doctor Ciandella is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedics and Physical Medicine, and she's a non-surgical sports medicine physician at MUSC. Doctor Ciandella, tell us about osteoporosis.
Dr. Ciandella: To understand osteoporosis, you have to understand a bit about bones. And bones are always remodeling, meaning they're in the process of being built up and broken down. And osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone can't keep up with the loss of the old bone. So, osteoporosis is defined as a decrease in bone mineral density. This means that the bone becomes weaker, and this is important because weaker bones are at increased risk of fracture. And unfortunately, so many of us have seen that falls leading to fractures can be some of the most detrimental problems in older adults.
Conner: And is this condition Inevitable?
Dr. Ciandella: It’s not inevitable, but as we age, our risk of developing osteoporosis does increase. Women are at higher risk, particularly postmenopausal women. But both men and women can develop osteoporosis. And some of the other risk factors include heavy alcohol use, smoking, lower body weight or body mass index, and certain other chronic diseases and medications.
Conner: Are there common symptoms, or is this often picked up just with screening?
Dr. Ciandella: There are some symptoms of osteoporosis, but they're generally rare and nonspecific, like back pain. Or, something more obvious would be something like a fracture, particularly one where the mechanism of injury was fairly low impact. But overall it is tricky because more times than not, people with osteoporosis don't show any signs or symptoms. And this is why screening is so important. We screen with something called a Dexa scan, which is a tool that helps us measure bone mineral density.
Conner: And who should be getting a Dexa scan or bone density scan.
Dr. Ciandella: So we generally recommend that women over 65 and men over 70 start screening with a DEXA scan, but we may also recommend this for younger individuals who are at higher risk.
Conner: What can be done to reduce an individual's risk of developing osteoporosis?
Dr. Ciandella: Just like so many diseases, prevention is key and there are things you can do to decrease your risk. Eating a balanced diet and getting adequate calcium and vitamin D in your diet. Weight bearing activity is also important in preventing bone loss. And, finally, avoiding tobacco and excess alcohol intake can also help prevent osteoporosis.
Conner: And when you talk about weight bearing exercises, what are some examples that might help prevent osteoporosis?
Dr. Ciandella: So some examples of weight bearing exercises are walking or aerobics classes. Whereas something that would be a non-weight bearing exercise would be like cycling or swimming, which is also good, just less likely to help build bone mineral density.
Conner: Doctor Ciandella, thanks for this information about osteoporosis.
Dr. Ciandella: Thank you.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
