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Mayo Clinic on Osteoporosis: Keep your bones strong and reduce your risk of fractures
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.
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.
- GenresHealthNonfiction
248 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2003
2 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 15, 2023
I read this book after a DEXA scan suggested I’m halfway to osteoporosis and it was well worth reading. The diagnosis was not unexpected for a woman my age but I learned a lot more about what it means (a 25% chance of bone fracture within 10 years) and how to reduce the risk.
Unsurprisingly, eating a healthy diet and engaging in weight bearing exercise daily are critical. The chapter on medications was especially useful in making decisions about whether to fill my doctor’s prescription for Fosamax. I try to minimize pharmaceutical interventions in favor of a healthy lifestyle, so medication is never my first choice.
Well worth reading even for younger women as bone health starts in early adulthood. It’s essential reading for the post menopausal and anyone who has been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia.
Unsurprisingly, eating a healthy diet and engaging in weight bearing exercise daily are critical. The chapter on medications was especially useful in making decisions about whether to fill my doctor’s prescription for Fosamax. I try to minimize pharmaceutical interventions in favor of a healthy lifestyle, so medication is never my first choice.
Well worth reading even for younger women as bone health starts in early adulthood. It’s essential reading for the post menopausal and anyone who has been diagnosed with osteoporosis or osteopenia.
December 28, 2024
Osteoporosis is a common but complex bone disorder with no clear treatment path and lots of competing and contradictory information on the internet. This was helpful to understand current-ish medical thinking, especially around available treatments / drugs.
One thing that was useful (though frustrating) to hear confirmed: treatment is determined by not what is best for the patient or by science, but by what one’s health insurance will cover. Might need to really advocate/fight w insurance company to get the treatment you & your doctors feel is appropriate. For example, bone-building drugs are often not covered until bone-loss prevention drugs (bisphosphonates) have been tried & failed— even though bone building drugs are less effective if taken after boneloss prevention drugs. Bone density scans are sometimes not approved more than once every two or more years, so there is no monitoring to see if the drugs are helping or even doing harm. If scans were regular, would that help prevent atypical femur fractures associated with some drugs? If they showed a drug was not working, perhaps that would allow a new drug to be prescribed, or at least the existing drug stopped?
That leads to the poor ability to diagnose osteoporosis—the technology is inexact, and the ability to compare between scans (to see the effect of tr eatment) depends not only on your scans being done on the same machine, but also by the same scan technician. What
It seems amazing that such a common and potentially debilitating condition is addressed this way. I sort of see why so many are distrustful of the medical approach to treatment — without even addressing the rare but serious and scary side effects of the drugs.
Anyway, useful information to ground oneself in as one wades through the information on the Internet and understand as one evaluates & advocates for treatment.
One thing that was useful (though frustrating) to hear confirmed: treatment is determined by not what is best for the patient or by science, but by what one’s health insurance will cover. Might need to really advocate/fight w insurance company to get the treatment you & your doctors feel is appropriate. For example, bone-building drugs are often not covered until bone-loss prevention drugs (bisphosphonates) have been tried & failed— even though bone building drugs are less effective if taken after boneloss prevention drugs. Bone density scans are sometimes not approved more than once every two or more years, so there is no monitoring to see if the drugs are helping or even doing harm. If scans were regular, would that help prevent atypical femur fractures associated with some drugs? If they showed a drug was not working, perhaps that would allow a new drug to be prescribed, or at least the existing drug stopped?
That leads to the poor ability to diagnose osteoporosis—the technology is inexact, and the ability to compare between scans (to see the effect of tr eatment) depends not only on your scans being done on the same machine, but also by the same scan technician. What
It seems amazing that such a common and potentially debilitating condition is addressed this way. I sort of see why so many are distrustful of the medical approach to treatment — without even addressing the rare but serious and scary side effects of the drugs.
Anyway, useful information to ground oneself in as one wades through the information on the Internet and understand as one evaluates & advocates for treatment.
November 24, 2022
This is a no-nonsense, approachable explanation of osteoporosis, from causes, prevention, and diagnosis to its various treatments, accommodations, and possible pitfalls. I wish I had read this book thirty years ago.
February 20, 2022
Twenty pages of content buried in 200+ pages of mind-numbing repetition.
June 1, 2023
Great book and easy to understand. Lots of ideas and steps to take to help you with Osteoporosis.
September 14, 2023
If you are looking for a book that explains osteoporosis and the prevention, this s the book for you. It clearly explains the causes, tests and techniques for keeping it in check.
August 1, 2024
Have just been diagnosed with osteoporosis and so had many questions. This book is a great resource and made me realize there are many things I can do to improve my condition.
May 14, 2025
Good book with a lot of information regarding getting more calcium and keeping your bones strong.
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January 14, 2009616.9 May
September 1, 2014
Good basic, practice information on osteoporosis: what it is, prevention, testing, and creating an action plan based on nutrition, physical activity, medication, posture and healthy behaviors.
July 11, 2015
good info
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews