Cornerstone Gynecologist National Speaker for Osteoporosis Treatment - Monica Doerr, MD

As a national spokesperson for Actonel, a leading osteoporosis medication, Van Fletcher, MD, a gynecologist with Cornerstone Health Care, travels the country sharing the shocking statistics of osteoporosis with his colleagues.br>
According to Dr. Fletcher, the latest research regarding this insidious disease is highly alarming. “Every year 1.5 million women suffer from osteoporosis-related fractures. Three hundred thousand of these are hip fractures, from which 75,000 women die. This is three times the number of women who die annually from breast cancer. However, in 2000 it was reported that only 3 –5 % of those with hip fractures were diagnosed or treated for osteoporosis.”

While these statistics are ominous, there is encouraging news in the development of new pharmaceutical agents that can reverse the loss of bone mass if the patient is diagnosed early enough. “Ostopenia is the condition which is a precursor to the diagnosis of full blown osteoporosis. If a screening indicates that osteopenia is present at a certain level, new medications can actually reverse the bone loss and greatly lessen the risk of osteoporosis if treatment is continued as prescribed,” Dr. Fletcher explained.

As with many chronic diseases, there are several risk factors that tend to make certain women more vulnerable to the excessive bone thinning associated with osteoporosis. Heredity may play a role, but according to Dr. Fletcher, it is difficult to pinpoint genetic factors contributing to the development of the disease. However, a lifetime history of a diet with too little calcium is a major risk factor, as is the excessive intake of caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea or soft drinks which can leech the calcium from the bones. Other risks include being very underweight, or regularly missing periods. Low estrogen levels and steroid use are additional factors contributing to the development of osteoporosis. The latest research indicates that women are at risk at much younger ages than was originally thought, and since the average life span for American women has increased greatly over the past several decades, the incidence of osteoporosis is forecasted to increase proportionately.

Making lifestyle changes such as increasing calcium intake to 1000 milligrams daily, getting adequate amounts of Vitamin D, increasing exposure to sunshine, and engaging in weight bearing exercise such as walking, can help fight osteoporosis but early diagnosis is the most powerful weapon in stopping its dangerous progression. Dr. Fletcher encourages his patients to consider a regular schedule of bone density testing to be as important to maintaining their health as their annual Pap smears and mammograms. “While you may not need to be tested annually for osteoporosis, determining a base line at the appropriate age may be the best way to determine your risk and explore treatment options,” he added.

For more information about osteoporosis or osteopenia, contact Van Fletcher, MD at 802-2010.