Osteoporosis: Are you at risk?

Here is a list of factors to determine if you are at risk for osteoporosis:

• Ethnicity:are Caucasian or Asian.
• Age: older women of post-menopausal years are at greater risk
• Size: weigh less than 127 lbs (low weight for height), mostly applies if you are also Caucasion or Asian.
• Family History: Have any relatives who have/had osteoporosis (broken bone of the wrist, hip, leg or spine occurring without major trauma, or a family member who has suffered a height loss of more than 1-1/2 inches)
• History of broken bones: have a personal history of fractures (broken bones) during adulthood that occured from minimal trauma.
• Amenorrea: have a temporary loss of monthly periods for more than 12 consecutive months or infrequent periods for several years (excluding pregnancy)
• Low Calcium intake: Lifelong low intake of calcium (such as through diet or calcium supplements)
• Sedentary lifestyle:Lifelong history of little exercise (less than 60 minutes per week)
• Smoke: history- past or present- of long-term smoking (more than 1 pack a day for more than 5 years)
• Alcohol Consumptiom: history of alcohol abuse or current excessive consumption of alcohol.

Have a chronic diseases or conditions that is often associated with osteoporosis. See list below:

• AIDS
• Chronic lung disease
• Diabetes, Type I
• Eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia)
• Hyperparathyroidism (excessive parathyroid hormone
• Hyperthyroidism (excessive thyroid hormone)
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Lupus
• Digestive disorders (such as celiac disease or other gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn's disease or Ulcerative colitis) that cause malabsorption
• Neurological diseases (such as stroke and multiple sclerosis)
• Rheumatoid arthritis

Have taken any of the following medications:

• Steroids (such as prednisone or cortisone) used for more than 3-6 months to treat asthma, arthritis, Crohn's disease or other diseases.
• Immunosuppressants (such as methotrexate or cyclosporin)
• Blood thinning agents when necessary for chronic use (such as long-term use of Coumadin or Heparin)
• Chemotherapy
• Certain drugs that are used to treat seizure disorder or depression
• Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues (Lupron and Zoladex) used to treat endometriosis
• Thyroid medications, taken in high dosages, with lack of routine blood tests for TSH-level monitoring
• Took a low estrogen birth control pill for at least 1 yr during formative bone density building years(late teens - the twenties)

If you fit a number of these criteria, contact your doctor and request a bone density screening. It is important to get an early read to prevent further bone loss as well as to, potentially, take medications that increase bone density growth.