Osteoporosis is a huge threat to women as they grow older, and a Chicago doctor is hoping a simple scan can help patients avoid catastrophic injuries.
Mary Driver is still recovering from a nasty fall she took on a sidewalk near the train station in suburban Lake Forest last fall, after a four mile run with a friend. She knew immediately her wrist was broken.
“And, I broke it really badly. I had never broken a bone that seriously before in my life,” said Driver.
The active 71-year-old turned down a DEXA scan in September because she thought her bones were healthy.
“I was like, ‘nah, I’m a runner, I am fine,'” said Driver.
After her fall, she visited Bone and Body Women’s Health in Winnetka, where she was diagnosed with osteoporosis, a condition that causes bones to become weak, brittle, and porous, significantly increasing the risk of unexpected fractures.
“They literally told me if I sneeze, I could break my back. That’s pretty darn scary,” she said.
Driver is now taking medication and has changed her diet, with guidance from Dr. Kristi DeSapri.
“Osteoporosis affects eight million women in the U.S. Globally, that’s one fracture every three seconds,” said DeSapri, the founder of Bone and Body. “There’s weakening of the bone density and bone quality that predisposes you to an increased risk for fractures.”
Risk factors increase during and after menopause when estrogen declines. Age and genetics can also play a role, as well as lifestyle factors like being sedentary, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
Those who don’t have enough calcium or vitamin D are also at risk.
DeSapri recommends a DEXA scan, a noninvasive imaging test, around the time of the Menopause transition.
“That time is really a critical window for women to understand their risk of a fracture, know their bone density, evaluate bone strength,” she said. “And the reason again for a screening test, just like a screening mammogram, is that we’ve identified women who might be at risk where we can intervene in that period. So, the intervention is really actually knowledge, right? When we have education, we can make proactive decisions.”
Fewer than 25% of women get DEXA scans, according to DeSapri. She attributes that to limited technology in many clinics, and less insurance reimbursement. And those who do get diagnosed, aren’t getting treated.
“One of the major reasons that treatment adherence rates, and continuation rates, and even start rates are so low is because bone health is sort of fragmented. Even in our medical establishments, we don’t have one doctor that treats osteoporosis,” said DeSapri. “The other reason is that osteoporosis is painless until a fracture occurs.”
Osteoporosis can’t be fully reversed, but it can be treated and managed through lifestyle changes and medication.
“Bone health is inherited. Risk factors are there. There’s secondary causes like metabolic bone conditions we can find and treat. So, a fracture isn’t inevitable,” said DeSapri. “At every stage, we should be thinking about things like calcium, exercise, vitamin D, knowing our family history, and understanding risk factors for bone loss.”
Driver is getting back to her former, active lifestyle, with caution. For now, she’s running on an indoor track instead of outside.She’s using her experience to encourage other women to advocate for their health.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We’re women. We go through this stuff. Get past that, because it’s your health, it’s your life,” she said.
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