Osteoporosis, a chronic, disabling yet preventable health problem for
women, can now be monitored in a fast, safe, painless and cost-effective
way at the Olson Center for Womens Health, part of the University of Nebraska
Medical Center and Nebraska Health System. Since August, the center has
been providing screening services and education about osteoporosis and
how to prevent it.
Osteoporosis, known as the silent thief, progresses without symptoms
or pain until bones start to break, generally in the hip, spine or wrist.
“Osteoporosis can get so bad that just stepping off a curb or sneezing
can break bones, said Anne Miller-Bode, a nurse practitioner with the
center. It is a painful, immobilizing disease.
As many women will die of a hip fracture as will die from breast cancer,
according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
Researchers at the Olson Center for Womens Health were involved in
a national clinical trial for the Lunar Achilles+ Ultrasonometer. The ultrasonometer,
which measures heel bone thickness, is a new screening tool for identifying
and monitoring bone loss, said David Baldwin, Ph.D., coordinator of research
and development for the center.
Dr. Baldwin and Miller-Bode collaborated in the research with J.C. Gallagher,
M.D., Creighton University School of Medicine.
The thickness of the heel bone closely correlates to the measurement
we get from the hip, Dr. Baldwin said.
The two-foot-square, portable instrument was approved by the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration in June. The patients foot rests in a compartment
that fills with warm water while the ultrasound wave measures the bones
strength, flexibility and density. It is as reliable as the conventional
X-ray densitometry methods used to identify and monitor bone loss, Dr.
Baldwin said.
Were excited about this new instrument. This will help us easily screen
and identify patients who are at risk for osteoporosis, Dr. Baldwin said.
More than 28 million Americans, mostly women, are at high risk of developing
osteoporosis, yet, a Gallup survey of women ages 45 to 75 indicates that
three out of four women have never spoken to their doctor about the disease.
Caucasian and Asian women seem to have a greater risk of developing
osteoporosis. The risk factor for African-American women is about one-half
and for Hispanic-American women it is about one-third that of Caucasian
women.
The good news is osteoporosis can be prevented, said Miller-Bode.
If a woman at the age of 40 knows she is at risk for osteoporosis, then
she can alter her lifestyle now to prevent the disease. Its hard to rebuild
bone once its lost.
Bone mass loss is a significant health problem for women. After reaching
a peak at about age 25 to 35, bone mass declines with age, she said.
After women reach their peak in bone density, they begin to lose up
to 5 percent of bone mass every year before and after menopause. Bone mass
loss slows when a woman is in her 70s, but by the time she is 80, she could
lose 40 percent of her peak bone mass, Miller-Bode said.
Risk factors for osteoporosis include: inadequate calcium intake, physically
inactive, heavy caffeine intake, history of chronic disease such as diabetes
and hyperthyroidism, family history of osteoporosis or fractures, underweight,
pre- or post-menopausal, athletic amenorrhea, heavy smoker, consume at
least one drink of alcohol each day, and consuming drugs that are known
to decrease bone density.
In our clinic, we provide education and prevention counseling and screening.
If we can get women to peak their bone mass at a higher level, their chance
of developing osteoporosis will be reduced, Miller-Bode said.
Two common ways of preventing osteoporosis are diet and exercise. Yet,
excessive diet and exercise also can rob bones of calcium.
Athletes are at high risk because they have low body fat. Estrogen
is stored in fat cells. If there is too little or too much fat, the menstrual
cycle is affected. There isnt a proper balance of female hormones, she
said.
For that same reason, women who have eating disorders also are considered
high risk.
There are so many women who are at risk and are missed because they
dont get screened. This new method will have a tremendous impact on osteoporosis
prevention because its so user-friendly and costs less than the standard
X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), Miller-Bode said.
She said ideally, as the Lunar Achilles+ Ultrasonometer becomes more
widely available, women could get the screening during their annual check-ups.
Some insurance companies pay for the screening or a portion of it.
Women who want to get a bone density test can be referred to the clinic
through their physician or call themselves. The test takes only 10 minutes
and can be performed during an office visit. Results are ready by the time
the patient puts her shoes on. Results will be discussed with the patient
and forwarded to the patients physician.
For more information, call the Olson Center for Womens Health at (402)
559-4212.
UNMC is the only public academic health science center in the state.
Through its commitment to research, education and patient care, UNMC has
established itself as one of the country’s leading centers for cancer research
and treatment and solid organ transplantation. More than $34 million
in research grants and contracts are awarded to UNMC scientists annually.
In addition, UNMC’s educational programs are responsible for training more
health professionals practicing in Nebraska than any other institution.