Health
Ellen DeGeneres has osteoporosis: Here's what to know about the painful bone condition
Longtime talk show host Ellen DeGeneres announced last week that she has been diagnosed with osteoporosis, as well as OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder).
During her final Netflix special “For Your Consideration,” DeGeneres, 66, opened up about her triple diagnosis, noting that she took a bone density test recommended by her doctor and learned she had “full-on osteoporosis.”
“I don’t even know how I’m standing up right now. I’m like a human sandcastle. I could disintegrate in the shower,” she told the audience.
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DeGeneres went on to admit that “it’s hard to be honest about aging and seem cool.”
Ellen DeGeneres joins “The Late Late Show with James Corden” as a guest on May 4, 2021. The longtime talk show host announced last week that she was diagnosed with osteoporosis, as well as OCD and ADHD. (Terence Patrick/CBS via Getty Images)
“I had excruciating pain one day and I thought I tore a ligament or something, and I got an MRI, and they said, ‘No, it’s just arthritis.’ I said, ‘How did I get that?’ And he said, ‘Oh it just happens at your age,’” she said.
Dr. Gbolahan Okubadejo, board-certified spine surgeon at The Institute for Comprehensive Spine Care in New Jersey, weighed in on DeGeneres’ diagnosis.
“Ellen still appears to have great posture and appears to be very active and healthy,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“Depending on the degree of osteoporosis she was diagnosed with, she has a great chance to have a normal life,” he went on.
“It’s important for her to be well-educated about the treatments and lifestyle modifications recommended by her doctor, and be a great patient by following those instructions.”
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a “bone disease that develops when bone mineral density and bone mass decreases, or when the structure and strength of bone changes,” according to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.
The disease can lead to a decrease in bone strength, which can increase the risk of broken bones.
Nearly 20% of women aged 50 and older have osteoporosis, according to the CDC.
“Osteoporosis occurs when the body loses too much bone mass or doesn’t produce enough bone to maintain healthy density,” Okubadejo said.
This causes the bone to become weak or brittle.
“Although certain populations are more vulnerable to osteoporosis, it’s often associated with aging, hormonal changes associated with age, lifestyle factors or mineral/vitamin deficiencies,” added Okubadejo.
The most common breaks in osteoporosis patients occur in the hip, wrist and spine, according to Mayo Clinic. (Randy Holmes/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images; iStock)
Osteoporosis can cause the bones to become so weak and brittle that a fall or even mild stress like coughing can cause a break, Mayo Clinic reported.
Nearly 20% of women aged 50 and older have osteoporosis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Symptoms and risk factors
Early-stage bone loss typically does not show any symptoms, according to Mayo Clinic.
Once bones are weakened, that can lead to back pain, loss of height, stooped posture and easy bone breakage.
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Osteoporosis can occur in men and women alike, but Mayo Clinic specified that older white and Asian women who are past menopause have the highest risk.
Men and women with small body frames tend to be more susceptible, as they have “less bone mass to draw from as they age,” the clinic noted.
The condition is also more likely to occur in people who have hormone imbalances, have undergone gastrointestinal surgery, have low calcium intake or experience disordered eating, according to the same source.
“Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone doesn’t keep up with the loss of old bone,” according to Mayo Clinic. (iStock)
Those with a family history of osteoporosis may also face a higher risk.
People who have taken corticosteroid medicines for conditions like seizures, gastric reflux, cancer and transplant rejection are more susceptible, as are those with celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney or liver disease, multiple myeloma and rheumatoid arthritis.
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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