Osteoporosis prevention starts well before the menopausal years, during your late teens, 20s and early 30s, when preventing osteoporosis is the last thing on your mind.
Peak bone mass
Peak bone mass (PBM) is the amount of tissue in your bones when they are at their most dense. The higher your peak bone mass, the less likely you are to develop osteoporosis.
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What affects your peak bone mass?
- If you spend much of your 20s and 30s being a couch potato, you are more likely to develop osteoporosis. Exercise (especially the weight-bearing type like walking and climbing stairs), increases PBM.
- Early onset of menstruation and late menopause are associated with increased PBM.
- Having several pregnancies increases PBM.
- If you use oral contraceptives for a long time your PBM will be increased.
- Healthy diet – you need lots of vitamin D and calcium for strong healthy bones.
Measures for osteoporosis prevention and reduction
Diet
You need a diet high in calcium and Vitamin D which helps the calcium to be absorbed into the body. If you aren’t getting enough calcium in your diet, you may need supplements.
Exercise
At least 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercise e.g. walking up stairs 3 times a week markedly reduces your osteoporosis risk. Walking is good general exercise because it helps posture which helps to maintain balance. This is important to prevent falls which may lead to fractures.
Do you need HRT?
HRT is probably the most effective way or preventing osteoporosis by maintaining bone mass.
However, it is not efective in some women. You may be wary of taking HRT because of the much-publicized side effects. Some women abandon HRT after only a few months.
It is important to discuss all the options available to you with your doctor. Often, adjusting the dose or the way the hormones are taken can significantly improve the side-effects without canceling out the advantages.
