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HEART HEALTH Inside Heart Health:
Blood Pressure
Cholesterol
Coronary Artery Disease
Heart Attack
Heart Failure
Heart Medications
Stroke
Featured Content:
Brushing up on heart health »
E-cigarettes: Hazardous or helpful? »
Fatty liver disease: An often-silent condition linked to heart
disease »
Salt sensitivity: Sorting out the science »
Smartphone apps for managing heart disease »
See AllIn Case You Missed It:
4 ways to eat your way to lower cholesterolMany people can lower
cholesterol levels simply by changing what they eat.
How much cardio should you do? The Physical Activity Guidelines issued
by the U.
7 ways to reduce stress and keep blood pressure downWhen it comes to
preventing and treating high blood pressure, one often-overlooked strategy is
managing stress. Get the latest news on health and wellness delivered to your
inbox! MIND & MOOD Inside Mind & Mood:
Addiction
Adult & Child ADHD
Alzheimer's & Dementia
Anxiety
Depression
Improving Memory
Mental Health
Positive Psychology
Stress
Featured Content:
Get the facts about memory loss »
Long-lasting grief when close friends pass »
Want to prevent dementia? Improve your everyday health habits »
What to do when reading gets harder »
Rehiring your business mind »
See AllIn Case You Missed It:
A sharper mind: tai chi can improve cognitive function There are lots
of jokes about forgetting where you put your keys, but as you get older, changes in
your mental function are no laughing matter.
Ways to support someone who is in griefIt can be hard to know how to
console a friend or relative who is grieving.
Six steps to cognitive health So how do you keep your brain healthy,
stay cognitively fit, and build your cognitive reserve? Get the latest news on
health and wellness delivered to your inbox! PAIN Inside Pain:
 Arthritis
Back Pain
Headache
Joint Replacement
Other Pain
Featured Content:
Chest pain that's not a heart attack »
Is exercise good for arthritis? »
Is fibromyalgia hereditary? »
Oh, my aching knees »
What could cause my sudden jaw pain? »
See AllIn Case You Missed It:
5 exercises to improve hand mobilityIf you find daily tasks difficult
to do because you suffer from stiffness, swelling, or pain in your hands, the right
exercises can help get you back in motion.
Taming carpal tunnel syndromeInside your wrist, a slick tunnel passes
through the carpal bones.
3 tips to prevent neck painWithout knowing it, you may be encouraging
neck pain by the way you perform everyday activities. Get the latest news on health
and wellness delivered to your inbox! STAYING HEALTHY Inside Staying Healthy:
Aging
Balance & Mobility
Diet & Weight Loss
Energy & Fatigue
Exercise & Fitness
Healthy Eating
Physical Activity
Screening Tests for Men
Screening Tests for Women
Sleep
Featured Content:
5 medications that can cause problems in older age »
CBD products are everywhere. But do they work? »
Counting on calories »
Maximizing home food delivery »
The state of gas »
See AllIn Case You Missed It:
The active ingredients of tai chiWhen Peter M.
The physical benefits of yogaYoga promotes physical health in multiple
different ways.
Motivational tips to work your coreA core workout is an essential
part of a fitness routine, but sticking with any exercise program isn't always
easy. Get the latest news on health and wellness delivered to your inbox! CANCER
Inside Cancer:
Breast Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
Other Cancers
Prostate Health & Disease
Skin Cancer
Featured Content:
Do all skin cancers have to be removed? »
Can you eat away at your cancer risk? »
A cancer researcher reflects on the evolution of lung cancer
therapies »
What is immunotherapy? »
Specialized diet gets high marks for preventing cancer »
See AllIn Case You Missed It:
4 tips for coping with an enlarged prostateWhen a man reaches about age
25, his prostate begins to grow.
 Can diet help fight prostate cancer?Can adopting a healthier diet help
fight prostate cancer?
Most melanomas start as new spotsMost melanomas come in the form of a
new spot on the skin, not changes to an existing mole. Get the latest news on
health and wellness delivered to your inbox! DISEASES & CONDITIONS Inside Diseases
& Conditions:
Adult & Child ADHD
Alzheimer's & Dementia
Diabetes
Digestive Health
Heart Disease
More Diseases & Conditions
Osteoporosis
Stroke
Thyroid Diseases
Featured Content:
Are sunstroke and heatstroke the same? »
Be alert to an increasingly common threat - tick-borne illnesses »
Fatty liver disease: An often-silent condition linked to heart
disease »
Is fibromyalgia hereditary? »
Poor sense of smell may predict risk of death in older adults »
See AllIn Case You Missed It:
5 ways to dodge incontinenceMost people take bladder control for
granted — until the unintended loss of urine interrupts the ability to carry on an
ordinary social and work life.
Simple tips to fight inflammationThe awareness of the intersection
between inflammation and chronic disease has spawned a plethora of diet plans,
nutritional supplements, and lifestyle programs, many implying they offer new ways
to improve your health by quelling inflammation.
Alcohol and age: A risky combinationMost people drink less as they grow
older. Get the latest news on health and wellness delivered to your inbox! MEN'S
HEALTH Inside Men's Health:
Birth Control
Erectile Dysfunction
Exercise & Fitness
Healthy Eating
Men's Sexual Health
Prostate Cancer
Prostate Health & Disease
Screening Tests for Men
Featured Content:
Big jump in active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer »
Can blood pressure medications interfere with my sex drive? »
The growing problem of an enlarged prostate gland »
What could cause my breasts to become larger? »
What exercises are best for bone health? »
See AllIn Case You Missed It:
Tips for talking to your doctor about EDIf you've been having
difficulty getting or sustaining erections, talk about it with your doctor.
5 natural ways to overcome erectile dysfunctionCan you run as fast as
you did when you were 20 years old?
In search of better ways to find and treat prostate cancerBiomarkers
are molecular signatures of both normal and abnormal processes in the body. Get the
latest news on health and wellness delivered to your inbox! WOMEN'S HEALTH Inside
Women's Health:
Birth Control
Breast Health & Disease
Exercise & Fitness
 Healthy Eating
Menopause
Osteoporosis
Pregnancy
Screening Tests for Women
Women's Sexual Health
Featured Content:
Winning the weight battle after menopause »
Does your vagina really need a probiotic? »
FDA takes some surgical mesh products off the market »
How can I prevent recurrent UTIs? »
What is a submucosal uterine fibroid? »
See AllIn Case You Missed It:
Hypothyroidism symptoms and signs in an older personSome people over
age 60 have few, if any, classic hypothyroidism symptoms, while others experience
the same symptoms younger people do.
What's your t-score? Bone density scans for osteoporosisSeveral
technologies can assess bone density, but the most common is known as dual energy
x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA).
5 ways to boost bone strength earlyThe best prevention for bone-
thinning osteoporosis begins early — during the first two decades of life, when you
can most influence your peak bone mass by getting enough calcium and vitamin D and
doing bone-strengthening exercise. Get the latest news on health and wellness
delivered to your inbox! LICENSING
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disorder in which bones become thinner and lose their strength.
Individuals with osteoporosis are at higher risk for breaking bones. The most
common osteoporosis-related fractures occur in the wrist, hip and spine.
Hip fractures can be difficult to heal. They reduce the person's ability to move
around. This can lead to complications and other health problems, and often
contribute to premature death.
Osteoporosis is more common in women than in men, largely because of hormonal
changes that occur during menopause. Most people with osteoporosis don't know they
have it until they have a bone density test or break a bone.
Diagnosing osteoporosis
Sometimes osteoporosis is diagnosed during a regular physical exam when you turn
out to have lost some height. This happens because silent fractures of the spine
cause it to compress or curve. To verify a diagnosis, an x-ray may be taken to see
if your bones are less dense than they had been.
The best way to diagnose osteoporosis (or its precursor, osteopenia) is with a bone
density test. The main way to measure bone density is with dual-energy X-ray
absorptiometry (DEXA). This test takes 10 to 15 minutes and is painless. It uses
minimal amounts of radiation and generally is done on the spine and hip.
Blood and urine tests may be recommended to identify a cause of osteoporosis, such
as a thyroid problem. For most people, however, there is no clear cause of
osteoporosis other than aging.
Treating osteoporosis
Osteoporosis can be treated several ways. If it is mild, daily weight-bearing
exercise can help build bone mass. Getting more calcium from food, and possibly
getting calcium and vitamin D from supplements, can also build bone or at least
prevent more bone loss. A number of medications have also been developed to slow
bone loss and build bone. Although bone mass usually does not return to normal
after treatment, the risk of fracture may decrease dramatically.
Preventing osteoporosis
Preventing osteoporosis is far better than trying to treat it. You can help prevent
osteoporosis by
• eating foods rich in calcium, such as low fat dairy products, sardines,
salmon, green leafy vegetables and calcium-fortified foods and beverages.
• getting more vitamin D from the sun or a supplement
 • doing weight-bearing exercise like brisk walking every day
• not smoking
• not drinking too much alcohol
The outlook for people with osteoporosis is good, especially if the problem is
detected and treated early. Bone density, even in severe osteoporosis, generally
can be stabilized or improved. The risk of fractures can be substantially reduced
with treatment.
Read More
Osteoporosis Articles
Taking osteoporosis drugs shouldn't prevent you from getting oral surgery
Some women are being turned down for oral surgery or other dental procedures
because they are taking osteoporosis drugs, which pose the risk of a rare condition
called osteonecrosis of the jaw. But experts say the overall risk of developing
this condition is low, and in most cases the fact that a woman is taking an
osteoporosis drug shouldn’t stop her from receiving oral surgery.
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More »
Does osteoporosis cause any symptoms?
Osteoporosis is not always symptomatic, so screening for the condition is
recommended. More »
Why middle-age spread is a health threat
Visceral fat — the padding around the abdominal organs — produces hormones and
other molecules that promote inflammation, increasing the risk of cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Aerobic exercise and avoiding simple sugars
can help reduce visceral fat.
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More »
Ask the doctor: Why would I need Prolia?
Denosumab (Prolia) is recommended for people at high risk for fractures for whom
other bone-loss treatments were ineffective or had intolerable side effects.
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More »
Boning up on osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is often considered a woman’s disease, but older men also need to be
concerned about this bone-thinning condition. Osteoporosis can be detected early
with a bone mineral density test, but there are steps men can take to help prevent
and treat it. These include a combination of lifestyle changes, supplements, and
medication, if necessary.
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More »
Men: Stand up and protect yourself from the risk of osteoporosis
Don't think men need to worry about osteoporosis? Think again. Older men have a
greater risk of osteoporosis-related fractures than of getting prostate cancer. In
fact, about one in four men older than 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis
during their lifetime, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. How can
men protect themselves and lower their risk of osteoporosis? Here are some
strategies: More »
Shunning osteoporosis treatment isn’t a wise decision for most women
Women have a 30% lifetime risk of an osteoporotic fracture, but some are forgoing
effective bisphosphonate therapies because they fear side effects like jaw necrosis
and thigh fractures that occur in less than 1% of women taking bisphosphonates.
More »
Mediterranean diet may protect against fractures as well as high-dairy diet
Women who had the greatest adherence to a Mediterranean eating plan had a somewhat
lower risk of fractures than those who pursued a healthy high-dairy diet. More »
Yoga: Another way to prevent osteoporosis?
A 12-minute routine, involving holding each of 12 yoga poses for 30 seconds, done
at least three times a week for two years, increased bone density in a small study
of postmenopausal women with low bone density. More »
How long should you take a bisphosphonate for osteoporosis?
New guidelines recommend extending bisphosphonate use for women who are still at
high risk after taking the drugs for three to five years. More »
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