Charlotte’s Premiere Health Wants You to Know All About Osteoporosis and Your Bone Health

Sept. 15, 2011 - PRLog -- As we age our bones weaken, losing both mass and density. Osteoporosis is an extreme weakening in which bones become frail at an accelerated rate. The most common type of bone disease, which one in five women over the age of 50 have, osteoporosis can be severely debilitating. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation approximately 10 million people in the US have the disease while an additional 34 million are at risk. Specializing in both women’s health and geriatrics, Dr. Carol Rupe recognizes that osteoporosis is a leading health concern for both her female and aging patients. Through her family clinic, Charlotte’s Premiere Health (http://www.premiere-health.com), Dr. Rupe can inform you about the risks and treatment options associated with the disease.

What are the Effects of Osteoporosis?

   Half of all women over fifty will have a fracture of their hip, wrist, or vertebra. Osteoporosis occurs when the body absorbs the calcium and phosphates stored in the bones much faster than they can be replenished. This causes the bones to become brittle, putting patients with osteoporosis at risk of fracturing bones. In fact, osteoporosis often goes undiagnosed until a patient breaks a bone. Particularly severe cases of osteoporosis may result in rib fractures that are a result of sneezing or coughing.
   Peak bone mass (when bones are at their strongest) is attained around the age of 30 after years of storing calcium and phosphates. This is done primarily through a diet full of phosphates, calcium and vitamin D – getting regular exercise helps as well. After this peak in bone mass the aging body absorbs the stored calcium and phosphates as needed, but replenishes less of it. The amount of the bone calcium and phosphate reserves in the bones depends on how much was stored during your 20’s and 30’s.   

There are a Number of Key Risk Factors

   There are several factors that increase your risk of developing osteoporosis. Females over the age of 50 are particularly at risk. Accepted medical thought is that the onset of osteoporosis has something to do with fluctuating hormone levels during and after menopause. Having irregular periods as an adult may also be an indicator of your potential for contracting the disease. Other risk factors include excessive smoking and drinking, having a history of broken bones, a diet low in calcium and vitamin D, poor exercise habits, having a history of eating disorders (anorexia or bulimia), and taking medications that cause bone loss.
   The most frequent and serious complication of osteoporosis is bone fractures, typically of the wrists, ankles, hips, and vertebra. Patients who have dealt with osteoporosis for an extended period of time may exhibit a hunched over appearance due to the strain placed on their weakening vertebral columns.
   Some things may exacerbate osteoporosis such as being confined to a bed, chronic rheumatoid arthritis or kidney disease, taking corticosteroids or anti-seizure drugs, hyperparathyroidism, and vitamin D deficiency.

Dr. Rupe, the Charlotte Area Expert in Osteoporosis Care

   As a leading expert in the Charlotte, Mecklenburg area on treating women’s health concerns, Dr. Carol Rupe knows that many women have concerns about osteoporosis. A national speaker on the subject, Dr. Rupe has an extensive, knowledgeable background in both diagnosing and treating this disease.
According to your personal family physician, Dr. Rupe, “...although there are many ways doctors can diagnose osteoporosis, such as the fracture risk assessment tool (FRAX score) and bone scans, the only test capable of diagnosing osteoporosis before a patient breaks a bone is the bone density test.”
   Medications prescribed to prevent or treat osteoporosis are, for the most part, designed to slow the rate of bone thinning while slightly increasing bone density (these are called bisphosphonates). Some, such as Calcitonin, target the hormones that are crucial in the bone-building process.

We Wish to Show You How Good Medicine Can Be!

   A private family medical clinic, Charlotte’s Premiere Health (http://www.premiere-health.com) strives to make every patient feel welcome and that we care about their needs. Centrally located in the University area of Charlotte, we invite you to discover everything missing from modern medicine today. Feel free to contact us at 704-510-4366.

As your personal family physician, Dr. Carol Rupe at Charlotte’s Première Health is ready to educate, inform and treat a wide range of medical issues for those in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg area. When you choose a primary care doctor, having diverse specialties and the ability to care for the whole family is important. Many primary care physicians will only refer for many issues, whereas Dr. Carol Rupe is qualified to treat the whole family – from pediatrics and toddlers, to adolescents, and adults including geriatrics.

Dr. Carol Rupe, your personal family physician and national speaker, wants you to discover medicine the way you remember... only better. In Charlotte, NC - Charlotte's Première Health provides superior care from pediatrics & whole family to the elderly.