As far as diseases and conditions that older adults can suffer from, it’s hard to name something more damaging and with more serious consequences than osteoporosis. While bone pain, falls, and fractures are common effects and on their own bad enough, the loss of bone strength has negative effects on all facets of life. For elderly adults who suffer a bone fracture, it can quickly lead to loss of mobility, loss of independence, and an early death due to the way health can rapidly degrade as a result.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 5.1% of men and 24.5% of women over the age of 65 have osteoporosis. While age is an unavoidable risk factor, due to the linear nature of time, there are a whole host of other factors that are controllable. Making a few lifestyle modifications and educating yourself about risk factors may help you prevent the disease altogether, or slow or possibly even reverse the progress of it.
The best, and arguably easiest, way to prevent osteoporosis is by staying physically active. Regular exercise encourages bone regrowth, and helps to maintain existing bone density. Both of these are essential for preventing osteoporosis. The recommended amount of exercise is thirty minutes a day, but this can be broken up into two fifteen minute bouts of activity, or three ten minutes, or however you wish as long as it adds up to thirty minutes. Walking, cycling, light weight training, using resistance bands, and many more exercises all promote bone health.
Health experts were previously under the impression that having a little bit of extra body weight as you age would help to protect you from osteoporosis. However, recent studies seem to contradict this belief. Researchers now say that maintaining a healthy body weight is better to help you prevent osteoporosis. A healthy body weight is essential, as research also showed that having a lower than optimal BMI is bad for both men and women. For men, a slightly elevated BMI may be good, but not for women.
While many people associate smoking with lung disease, smokers also have an increased risk for osteoporosis. Cigarette smoke interferes with the body’s ability to absorb calcium, which will naturally lead to a loss of bone density.
Hand in hand with smoking is alcohol consumption. High alcohol consumption puts you at risk for bone loss as well, much to the surprise of many. Researchers believe the cause may be that older adults who abuse alcohol will also tend to have poor diets. Poor nutrition is another factor that has been linked to osteoporosis.
Some research has also shown that older adults who consume a lot of protein will experience fewer incidences of osteoporosis. By contrast, seniors who suffer bone fractures often eat little amounts of protein. Make sure to discuss your diet with your physician to determine how much protein you should be eating each day.
Our bodies become less efficient at processing vitamins and nutrients as we age as well. This can make it difficult to consume enough calcium and vitamin D, both of which are essential for maintaining bone health. A blood test may reveal any potential deficiencies, and your doctor might prescribe high dose supplements to counteract this.