Osteoporosis

Maryland Del. Marilyn R. Goldwater, a Montgomery County Democrat, and Del. Barbara Frush, a Prince George's Democrat, JTC will talk about recent legislative developments pertaining to the prevention of osteoporosis, education about the disease and reimbursement of bone-density testing for the disease from 10 a.m. to noon tomorrow at a meeting of the Osteoporosis Awareness Group at Laurel Regional Hospital, 7300 Van Duesen Road, Laurel.The group meets quarterly. Admission is free. Light refreshments will be served.

A new study strongly suggests that widespread deficiencies of vitamin D may play a big role in causing the bone-wasting disease osteoporosis among older Americans.The researchers attributed vitamin D deficiencies to two factors of growing importance: insufficient dietary intake and inadequate exposure to sunlight, which stimulates production of vitamin D in the skin.The study findings, being published today in the New England Journal of Medicine, suggest not only that millions of American adults lack enough vitamin D in their blood to protect their bones but also that newly upgraded recommendations for vitamin D intake may be inadequate to prevent osteoporosis in many older people.

New dietary guidelines say Americans should consume more calcium every day to help prevent osteoporosis, the bone-wasting condition that affects 25 million Americans -- primarily women.Almost everyone over the age of 8 needs to consume about a serving more of calcium -- roughly 300 milligrams -- every day, according to guidelines issued yesterday by the Institute of Medicine, a health policy organization that is part of the National Academy of Sciences.In most instances, the changes add up to roughly a glass of milk, an ounce of hard cheese, one cup of calcium-fortified juice or one slice of cheese pizza a day.Children ages 9 to 19 should consume 1,300 milligrams of calcium a day, the report says.

Gene Logic Inc., a privately held genomics company based in Columbia, announced yesterday that it has established a research collaboration with the Center for Clinical and Basic Research in Ballerup, Denmark, aimed at discovering genes that regulate the bone disorder osteoporosis.The company, backed by $9 million in venture funding, said the goal of the alliance is to identify gene targets that might be used by scientists to develop new drugs and advanced diagnostics for osteoporosis and other bone disorders.

My wife is 66 and suffers from severe osteoporosis. Could you tell me if there are any new treatments for her disorder?Osteoporosis results from an imbalance between the continuing processes of calcium removal from bone (bone resorption) and calcium entry into the bone (mineralization or bone formation). When resorption overtakes formation, the result is a decrease in bone density and strength.A diagnosis of osteoporosis is made in postmenopausal women when bone mineral density is at least two standard deviations below the average level found in premenopausal women.

Q: I have just stopped having menstrual periods and my doctor has recommended hormone replacement to reduce my risk of having fractures of my spine and hip. I am hesitant to take hormones because they may increase my chances of developing breast cancer. Is there any way to find out how much the hormones will help me?A: A bone density measurement may help you to decide whether to begin hormone replacement. Estrogen is the most effective antidote to the rapid bone loss that occurs in the years immediately after the menopause, and you would be especially well served by estrogen replacement if your bone mass is already low. Keep in mind the impressive evidence for the benefits of estrogen on the prevention of coronary heart disease.

Q: My doctor has kept me on estrogen hormone replacement ever since my periods stopped four years ago.The estrogen was originally prescribed to control hot flashes, and I am pretty sure they will not return or will be tolerable if the estrogen is stopped.But I am concerned abut osteoporosis because I am thin and my mother fractured her hip in her late 70s.How long must estrogen be taken to protect me against osteoporosis?A: A recent article in the New England Journal of Medicine cited somewhat disappointing results of a study carried out on 212 women from Framingham, Mass.

Q: I am 65 years old and was advised never to take estrogen following surgery for breast cancer. I am concerned about osteoporosis and wonder whether it can be prevented by taking calcium supplements.A: A recent editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine by Dr. Robert Heaney has clarified the confusing results of the many studies done to determine the effects of dietary calcium on the development of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Most, but not all, of these studies showed that calcium supplements slowed the loss of bone or reduced the number of fractures.

Like so many of my women colleagues and friends, I seem to get just a tiny bit shorter every year. The villain in this is clearly osteoporosis. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, more than 50 percent of all women over 45 have osteoporosis of the spine. Virtually all women over 80 have at least some osteoporosis. With women now living to an average age of 79 years, most of us can anticipate osteoporosis as one problem of aging.This can become particularly alarming when one considers that the most common cause of fractures for women over 80 is weakened and brittle bone caused by osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis. The old-woman's disease, right?Indeed osteoporosis -- the degenerative condition that weakens bones and makes them susceptible to fracture -- affects more than 20 million American women. It is eight times more common in women than in men and affects one in every four women over 50.But there are misconceptions about osteoporosis, and perhaps the most misleading is that the time to be concerned about it is in old age. In fact, the most critical time for building bone mass is the teen-age years.

On April 14, 2009, Yvette Sikora The family will received visitors at the family owned Kirkley-Ruddick Funeral Home, 421 Crain Higway S.E., Glen Burnie, on Sunday from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 P.M. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday at 10 A.M. at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Interment Crownsville Veterans Cemetery. Donations in her name may be made to the American Cancer Society, 1041 Route 3 North, Building 1, Gambrills, MD 21054 or to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 1232 22nd Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037-1292 Please visit www.kirkleyruddickfuneralhome.

My 62-year-old husband had a prostatectomy a year ago. It was successful, but he continues to have bladder problems. His urologist put him on Detrol for this. When he started acting confused and paranoid, I got concerned. At the urologist's appointment I explained this to the doctor, and he matter-of-factly muttered that "yes, a side effect is cognitive decline." I was shocked and very upset that this was not in any of the pharmacy inserts we got with the prescription. Why isn't this information more accessible?

Police seek suspect in burglary County police are asking for help finding a suspect in the burglary of a home in White Marsh and for questioning in six other burglaries, authorities said. Police said they have obtained a warrant for McClayton Daniels, 42, whose address is unknown. The burglary took place during the day April 18 when the house in the first block of Manor Ave. was unoccupied, authorities said. When police arrived, they found that a back kitchen door had a glass panel broken where entry was made.

Women who take pills to stave off osteoporosis could have an alternative treatment for thinning bones: a single, annual intravenous infusion that takes about 15 minutes in a doctor's office, according to a report released today. The downside to the treatment is a slightly elevated risk of erratic heart rhythms, which have been linked to stroke. But experts say the risk might be worth it for patients who can't tolerate pills or stick with an oral medication schedule to fight osteoporosis, which causes dangerous bone loss in millions of Americans, mostly women.

Why is Merck spending so much money advertising Fosamax Plus D? Could it be that the company is worried people will quit this osteoporosis drug after learning that the benefits persist even after stopping use? I recently read that acid-suppressing drugs such as Nexium and Prilosec may be linked to hip fractures. Drugs such as Fosamax can cause symptoms of heartburn, for which people would take acid suppressors. Could this create a vicious cycle? Two articles in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Dec.

Events Medical Laboratory Expo -- Maryland Science Center, 601 Light St., Key Highway entrance / Browse vaccine development and disease exhibitions and hear doctors speak on bioterrorism and mad cow disease. 2 p.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Free. 866-272-3531. Oral health education -- Baltimore County's Department of Aging will offer presentations to seniors on dental care and how to spot oral cancer. The presentations are at local senior centers through May 12. Free. 410-887-2594. Classes Smoking cessation -- Chase Brexton Health Services, 10 W. Eager St. / Six-week class starts Monday.

Red Cross offering classes in CPR The Central Maryland Red Cross will offer a class in adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow at First Presbyterian Church, 9325 Presbyterian Circle, Columbia. The class will also be offered from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 15 and 29 at Owen Brown Community Center, 6800 Cradlerock Way, Columbia. The cost is $40. Adult, infant and child CPR classes will be offered from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow at First Presbyterian Church and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 29 at Owen Brown Community Center.

Is it dangerous to have chiropractic treatments if you have osteoporosis? Scientifically, there is little data on chiropractic in people with osteoporosis, said Anthony L. Rosner, a Brookline, Mass., biochemist who is director of research and education for the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research. There is also little data suggesting that people with osteoporosis are injured by chiropractic treatment, in which the spine is manipulated to restore proper alignment of vertebrae.

HealthLink van to offer screenings Upper Chesapeake HealthLink's New Medical Mobile Van will be on the Upper Chesapeake Medical Center's parking lot from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday. Free blood pressure and body fat screenings will be offered. Cholesterol screenings will be available for $10 and osteoporosis screenings for $15 (cash or check only). Information: 800-515-0044. Free eye and foot screenings Saturday Upper Chesapeake Health is offering free eye and foot screenings from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at HealthLink's Community Wellness Center.

Safety courses set at Columbia church Central Maryland Red Cross cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid and other safety courses are to be held this month at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, 9325 Presbyterian Circle. Adult CPR, for victims ages 8 and older, will be offered from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. March 13 and 23 and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 25. The course covers cardiac and breathing-emergency skills, including rescue breathing, clearing an obstructed airway and performing one-rescuer CPR. The cost is $40. Adult, infant and child CPR will be offered from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 25. The training can be used with adult, infant and child victims.