Amy is a 25year old Caucasian thin small boned woman She com

Amy is a 25-year old Caucasian, thin, small boned woman. She comes to you and asks what she can do to prevent osteoporosis later in life. What would you recommend to her? Explain several steps that you would recommend and why they are effective.

Solution

1) Diet: Low intake of calcium & Vit. D increases risk of osteoporosis. Also, excessive dieting or inadequate caloric intake can be bad for bone health. Therefore, one must take good amount of calcium food and Vit. D tablets, so that after menopause, she can avoid osteoporosis and bone fractures.

2) Alcohol intake: Heavy drinking is a significant risk factor for osteoporosis. So, one must avoid alcohol.

3) Medications: Long-term use of certain medications, like glucocorticoids leads to bone loss and increased risk of osteoporosis. Therefore, the use of such drug should be avoided to major extent and also taken with good calcium intake.

4) Sex hormone deficiencies: In post menstrual women, estrogen level in their body decreases leading to deficiency in calcium absorption leading to less bone density. But, as hormones interfere in other hormone levels, so one must go through complete checkup with doctor and only after doctor’s recommendation take hormone dosage.

5) Inactive lifestyle: Less physical activity and lazyness can contribute to an increased rate of bone loss. They also leave you in poor physical condition, which can greatly enhance the risk of falling and breaking a bone. Therefore, one must be physically active. Regular exercise and yoga helps.

6) Smoking: It is also one of the risk factor for osteoporosis. Avoid smoking.