My City Wellness Spring 2021

My Wellness

be able to discuss with you to de termine what type of treatment, with or without medication and for how long, is best for you.

CAN BONE LOSS BE REVERSED?

Appropriate drug therapy combined with a healthy lifestyle may reverse or slow down bone loss. It takes about 3-5 years of drug therapy and healthy lifestyle to determine whether drugs should be continued further or can be temporarily discontinued. Quitting cigarette smoking, reducing body weight to normal for age, gender and height and cutting down caffeine intake can positively affect risk. Vitamin D and calcium are the most researched bone health supplements. More rigorous clinical research is necessary to assess effects of soybeans (Isoflavones), vita min B12, folic acid and ome ga-3 fatty acids on bone health. There is not enough data to recommend for or against the use of these supplements to treat or prevent osteoporosis. If you are in an at-risk cat egory, ask your physician if you need osteoporosis screening. x ARE SUPPLEMENTS EFFECTIVE?

About ten million Americans are affected by osteoporosis which in turn leads to bone fracture with minimal or even no obvious trauma.

SCREENING AND DIAGNOSIS

PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

Screening for average risk in post-menopausal women is recommended to begin at age 65. Screening guidelines for men vary in their recom mendations. Men and women with increased risk factors should be screened earlier than the recommended age. Screening and diagnosis are done by assessing BMD using dual-energy x-ray absorp tiometry (DEXA). Lower than-normal bone density could mean osteopenia (bone is heading toward becoming osteoporosis) or osteoporosis. Your physician may suspect or diagnose osteoporosis based on clinical findings such as vertebral compression fracture and fragility fracture (bone fracture with minimal injury).

Regular weight-bearing, aero bic, resistance and balance ex ercises combined with a healthy diet are extremely important to maintain bone health and reduce risk of fracture. Daily intake of calcium (1,200mg) and vitamin D (2,000IU) is appropriate for treatment of osteoporosis. De pending on BMD, bone-specific medications may be prescribed. With appropriate use, those medications have been shown to reduce risk of spine and hip fractures. Your physician should

FIZKES / STOCK.ADOBE.COM

Dr. Pokhrel is program director for the McLaren Regional Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program and an assistant pro fessor in the Department of Family Medicine. He received his MD from Kiev, Ukraine, his MS in Toxicology from University of Con necticut, and CT and PhD in Pharmacology from St. John’s Univer sity, NY. He completed his faculty development fellowship through 0.&3"% .46 $). )F XBT BXBSEFE m STU QMBDF GPS IJT SFTFBSDI

presentation on vitamin D during Michigan Family Medicine Research Day. Dr. Pokhrel has lectured on various topics of his interest at national and international levels.

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