Health
Hidden signs your bones may be weaker than you think, according to doctor
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When people think about protecting their health, bone health often takes a back seat to more prominent concerns like cancer or heart disease.
But for women, bone density can become a real issue with age, as osteoporosis weakens bones and increases the risk of fractures.
Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified OB-GYN, certified menopause specialist and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Medical Branch, talked to Fox News Digital about the severity of this threat.
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“About 50% of women can expect to have an osteoporotic fracture before they die,” she said. “That is triple the rate of men.”
Osteoporosis is defined as 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.
Fifty percent of women will experience an osteoporotic fracture by age 50, while only 20% of men will experience the same, according to Haver. (iStock)
The condition can cause the bones to become so weak and brittle that a fall or even mild stress, like coughing, can cause a break.
Haver, also founder of The ‘Pause Life, a health and wellness platform focused on supporting women through midlife changes, noted that the “downfall” after these fractures can be “pretty devastating.”
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Fractures can lead to disability, death and high medical costs, according to a blog post by Haver on The ‘Pause Life’s website.
Risks and warning signs
Haver emphasized that osteoporosis is a “largely preventable” disease.
“Paying attention to the lifestyle, the behaviors, possibly the medications that can prevent osteoporosis earlier in life, will really help stave off some of the loss of independence that women are suffering from as they age,” she told Fox News Digital.
The expert recommends engaging in weight-bearing exercise and resistance training to build bone density. (iStock)
The condition is more likely to occur in those who have hormone imbalances, have undergone gastrointestinal surgery, have low calcium intake or experience disordered eating, according to Haver and the Mayo Clinic. Those with a family history of osteoporosis may also face a higher risk.
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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.
Although osteoporosis is sometimes referred to as a “silent disease,” which can progress without symptoms until a fracture occurs, there are a few subtle clues that may indicate “lower than normal” bone density, Haver said.
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These include loss of height, back pain, receding gums, and weak or brittle nails.
Those who are often sedentary may experience worsened symptoms. (iStock)
Osteoporosis can also be caused by certain unhealthy habits, such as being sedentary, consuming excessive alcohol and using tobacco.
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The Mayo Clinic reported, “People who spend a lot of time sitting have a higher risk of osteoporosis than do those who are more active.”
Haver agreed that staying physically active, while getting enough calcium and vitamin D through a healthy diet or supplementation, can help maintain healthy bone density.
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“Engage in weight-bearing exercise and resistance training, avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, and talk to a doctor about any medications that may affect bone health,” she wrote in her blog post.
“Regular bone density testing may also be recommended for some individuals to monitor their bone health and identify any potential issues early on.”
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More than 59% of women may have high blood pressure by 2050, according to a new report from the American Heart Association.
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A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.
The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.
More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.
The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.
As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)
Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.
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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”
“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)
Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”
The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.
The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.
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“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”
Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.
Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)
Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.
The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.
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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”
“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”
The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.
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“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.
“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”
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