Mayo Clinic on Osteoporosis: Keep your bones strong and reduce your risk of fractures

by Ann E. Kearns M.D., Ph.D.

Overview

Around 54 million Americans live with osteoporosis or low bone mass, but many don’t recognize the symptoms until it is too late. Before a bad fall or fracture renders you immobile, learn how to reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis, manage your day-to-day symptoms, and even treat the disease with the tools provided in Mayo Clinic on Osteoporosis.

Throughout your life, your bones are constantly rebuilding. But as you age, you run a greater risk of your new bone growth not being able to keep up with the old bone you’re losing. Osteopenia and osteoporosis develop when this imbalance makes bones weak and likely to break.

A stooped posture, low-trauma fractures, and collapsed vertebrae are a few of the tell-tale signs associated with weakened and brittle bones. But fortunately, an osteoporosis diagnosis doesn’t have to be permanent. By taking the right steps, you can reduce your risk of future fractures, stop bone loss, and even rebuild your low bone density.

In this book, Dr. Ann E. Kearns, a leading endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic, provides clear, practical information on the common causes of osteoporosis and osteopenia, simple ways to prevent bone loss with nutritious foods and supplements, and how to test for low bone mass before a fracture occurs. You will also learn tips for healthy eating and beneficial exercises, using modern medications to stop bone loss and encourage new bone growth, and how to quickly and safely recover from injuries sustained from low bone density.

Together with your health care provider, you can take action to maintain strong bones and a full, healthy life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781893005242
Publisher:	Mayo Clinic Press
Publication date:	10/19/2021
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	82,476
Product dimensions:	7.38(w) x 9.12(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Dr. Ann E. Kearns, M.D., Ph.D. is an endocrinologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and an associate professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. After completing her residency

at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and a fellowship in endocrinology at Harvard University’s Massachusetts General Hospital, she joined Mayo Clinic in 1998, where she has since helped thousands of patients by improving their osteoporosis treatment and helping prevent fragility fractures.

Dr. Kearns has also contributed to national efforts to close the gap between recommendations and typical care, working toward better diagnosis and treatment of people with osteoporotic fractures.

Read an Excerpt

Table of Contents:

Part 1: Understanding Osteoporosis

Chapter 1 What is osteoporosis?

Chapter 2 The life cycle of bone

Chapter 3 Fractures and falls

Chapter 4 Can you reduce your risk?

Chapter 5 Screening, diagnosis and monitoring

Chapter 6 Making sense of test results

Part 2: Prevention and Treatment

Chapter 7 Developing an action plan

Chapter 8 Eating for healthy bones

Chapter 9 Staying active

Chapter 10 Taking medications

Chapter 11 Osteoporosis in men

Chapter 12 Disorders associated with osteoporosis

Part 3: Living With Osteoporosis

Chapter 13 Healthy living strategies

Chapter 14 Recovering from a fracture

Chapter 15 Home safety

Additional resources

Glossary

Index

Table of Contents

	Preface	v
Part 1	Understanding osteoporosis
Chapter 1	What is osteoporosis?	3
	The consequences of osteoporosis	4
	The bone bank	6
	Signs and symptoms	8
	Types	9
	A positive perspective on bone health	11
Chapter 2	The life cycle of bones	13
	Bone basics	14
	Bone remodeling	16
	A carefully regulated process	18
	Peak bone mass	20
	Aging and your bones	22
	Maximizing peak bone mass	26
Chapter 3	Fractures and falls	27
	Common types of osteoporotic fractures	28
	Risks of falling	34
	Risks of a second fracture	38
	The critical role of fracture prevention	40
Chapter 4	Can you reduce your risk of osteoporosis?	41
	Assessing your chances	42
	Risk factors you can't change	42
	Risk factors you may influence	45
	Risk factors you can change	49
	What you can do	51
Chapter 5	Screening and diagnosis	53
	Screening vs. diagnosing	54
	What is a bone density test?	55
	How do bone densitometers work?	60
	Types of bone densitometers	60
	History and physical evaluation	68
	Bone marker tests	69
	Making a diagnosis	70
Chapter 6	Making sense of your test results	71
	What you see on your test results	72
	Understanding T-scores	76
	Understanding Z-scores	78
	How are the numbers used?	79
	Can test results predict a fracture?	81
	Putting T-scores and Z-scores in context	82
	Important considerations	83
Part 2	Preventing and treating osteoporosis
Chapter 7	Elements of your action plan	87
	Strong bones for a lifetime	88
	Diet and nutrition	89
	Physical activity	96
	Medications	97
	Healthy behaviors	97
	Perfecting your posture	100
	Meeting the challenge	100
Chapter 8	Eating for healthy bones	101
	Good nutrition in a nutshell	102
	Calcium in your diet	105
	Tips for increasing your calcium intake	106
	Bone-healthy menus and recipes	110
	Calcium supplements	116
Chapter 9	Staying active	121
	Putting theory into practice	121
	Getting started	122
	Exercises for osteoporosis	127
	How much should you exercise?	136
	Staying in the game	137
Chapter 10	Taking medications	139
	Estrogen and hormone replacement therapy	140
	Bisphosphonates	144
	Teriparatide	145
	Raloxifene	147
	Calcitonin	148
	Medications under investigation	150
	Evaluating your options	152
Chapter 11	Living with osteoporosis	153
	Practice good posture	154
	Boost your emotional health	159
	Maintain social connections	164
Chapter 12	Recovering from a fracture	167
	The nature of your recovery	168
	How bone heals	168
	Treating vertebral fractures	170
	Treating hip fractures	174
	Treating wrist fractures	179
	Managing chronic pain	181
Chapter 13	Home safety	185
	Staying safe indoors	186
	Assistive devices: Help around the house	189
	The importance of attitude	195
	Taking control	196
	Additional resources	197
	Index	201