It is no secret that exercise is important for maintaining health. And walking
is usually recommended as weight bearing exercise to help the bones and prevent osteopenia.
However, in 2003, a new concept hit the market that has caused exercise to be not only
a possibility, but a wonderful opportunity for fitness for those who are not able to walk due to foot problems
or other reasons and for those who live in a climate that is not conducive to outdoor exercise.
Has your doctor suggested you need a bone mineral density test?
According to Barbara Mintzes, of the University of British Columbia, “Bone mineral density testing
is a poor predictor of future fractures, but an excellent predictor of the start of drug use.”
- British Medical Journal, 4/13/02
Osteopenia is the word used to describe loss of bone density and is thought to be a
precursor to Osteoporosis. The term Osteopenia did not even exist until a little over
a decade ago. It became popular in medical literature about the same time as the
drug Fosamax entered the market. Continue reading ‘Dangerous Myths & Lies Concerning “Bone Density” Drugs’ »
An exciting new development for predicting hip fracture was reported yesterday on WebMD. Until now, The National Osteoporosis Foundation has recommended that all women over 65 and all men over 70 should have bone density x-ray testing to access their risk of bone fracture. The same test is recommended for younger women to identify osteopenia (the less sever bone loss problem). But according to researcher Idris Guessous, MD, in many areas, the lack of access to testing plus the high cost kept many from getting it done.
Not even mentioning the problem that many are having far too much exposure to x-rays these days. So it is exciting to learn heel ultrasound could be an alternative to X-ray bone density testing.
