Bone Health 101: Free presentations from Osteoporosis Canada

Osteoporosis Canada is offering free presentations on bone health on Feb. 22 at 3:30 p.m. and on Feb. 24 at 7:00 p.m. Stats show that one in three women and one in five men will break a bone due to osteoporosis at some point in their lives.

“So this is a general information session on bone health and what osteoporosis is,” said Sandy Owczar with Osteoporosis Canada. “A lot of people have it and don’t know it. So these sessions are to raise awareness. And then, if people follow up with their doctor and find out they have (osteoporosis), we have programs that can help with that as well.”

What is osteoporosis?

The word osteo is from ancient Greek and simply means “bone.” The suffix porosis refers to the “condition of being porous.” Bones are not solid in the first place – their strength comes from an internal honeycomb-like structure similar to construction scaffolding. Osteoporosis is like having pieces removed from that scaffolding: eventually, the structure begins to weaken and sag.

Wrist fractures or height loss can be a sign of osteoporosis. Public Health Canada reports that in 2015-16, approximately 11.9 per cent of Canadians (2.2 million) over the age of 40 had been diagnosed with osteoporosis – 80 per cent were women.

The disease is diagnosed with a bone density scan. Bones affected by osteoporosis are more translucent than bones with healthy density. Osteoporosis is often called the “silent thief” because the condition can go entirely undetected until a fracture occurs. Even after a fracture due to osteoporosis, there is a care gap – less than 20 per cent of people who suffer a broken bone due to osteoporosis are actually treated for the disease within one year of the break.

The risk of fractures for people with osteoporosis is life-threatening. Effects include chronic pain, reduced mobility, anxiety and depression, social isolation, and more.

Preventing osteoporosis

“It’s kind of one of those things that people don’t think about,” Owczar said. “You think of being strong or healthy or eating healthy, but not necessarily about the effect of those things on your bones. You never say to your friends, ‘How are your bones?’”

Owczar said that it is important, especially as you age, to be aware of your bone health. There are three primary areas to focus on to reduce bone loss:

1. A bone-healthy diet – a healthy diet improves all aspects of health, and a bone-healthy diet will pay particular attention to the micronutrients calcium and vitamin D;
2. Adequate daily exercise – the body can be over-efficient, and if bones are not subjected to regular healthy stress from weight-bearing and resistance exercise, resorption can occur. Resorption means the body will essentially say that if you aren’t using your bone density, you must not need it, and it can break down the structure to be used elsewhere. This can also be caused by inadequate calcium intake.
3. Avoiding negative lifestyle factors – smoking and excessive alcohol intake have both been shown to contribute to loss of bone density.

It is necessary to note that osteoporosis is abnormal – there is no single cause. In many cases, treatment should include osteoporosis-specific therapies and medications. Lifestyle adjustments may not be enough, particularly following a significant fracture.

You can find more information about osteoporosis at osteoporosis.ca/fast-facts/.

Register for one of Osteoporosis Canada’s information sessions at osteoporosis.com/bonehealth101/.