TO YOUR

Mid-Valley Newspapers March 2013A guide to wellness and healthy living in the Mid-Willamette Valley

HealthHealthM

A guide to welln mette Valley

Quick reads about health topics in the news

Americans’ behaviorkilling them off

The three leading causes ofdeath among Americans in2000 were all behavior-related (tobacco use con-tributed to 18.1 percent ofdeaths that year, poor dietand exercise habits played arole in 16.6 percent ofdeaths, and alcohol was afactor in 3.5 percent ofdeaths), according to datafrom the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention.

Two health policy expertsfrom Harvard Universitywanted to find out how thepublic was responding towhat they called “new fron-tier” public health initiativesaimed at changing con-sumer behavior, such asNew York City’s ban onsuper-sized sodas.

Stephanie Morain andMichelle M. Mello conductedan online survey of 1,817Americans, asking themabout a variety of policies.

Overall, 75 percent saidthe CDC was doing a “good”or “excellent” job, and morethan half gave the same rat-ings to their state and localpublic health agencies.When it came to assessingthe government’s publichealth agenda, there wasbroad support for prevent-ing cancer (89 percent werein favor), preventing heartdisease (86 percent), pre-venting obesity in children(81 percent) and adults (76percent), preventing andreducing tobacco use (76percent) and reducing alco-hol consumption (70 per-cent). In addition, 84 per-cent agreed that the gov-ernment should help peoplewith diabetes control theirdisease.

— Los Angeles Times

Safer oysters possiblewith less bacteria

Oregon State Universityhas improved an oldmethod of making oysterssafer to eat so that morebacteria are removedwithout sacrificing tasteand texture.

The improved processnearly clears their digestivetracts of the bacteria Vibrioparahaemolyticus, whichcan cause gastroenteritis,an infection marked bysevere abdominal pain,vomiting and diarrhea. Eachyear in the United States,more than 40,000 cases ofVibrio parahaemolyticusinfection are linked to theconsumption of seafood.

“This bacteria is a hugesafety concern,” said Yi-Cheng Su, an OSUprofessor of seafoodmicrobiology and safety.“Cooking oysters easily killsit, but many consumerswant to eat raw shellfishwithout worrying aboutfoodborne illness.”

To make oysters safer,processors place themollusks in tanks of cleanseawater at roomtemperature, a methodknown as depuration. Theshellfish filter clean waterthrough their system andexcrete most bacteria fromtheir digestive tracts intothe water. Seeking a betteralternative, Su and hiscolleagues tweaked thedepuration method.

— Oregon State University

HIV: Progress made,but not enough

A 20-year-old diagnosedwith HIV or AIDS today canexpect to live 50 years, dueto groundbreakingadvances in treatmentsince the discovery of thevirus 30 years ago.

Despite the progress,troubling trends remain:47,500 new cases of HIVinfection are diagnosedeach year in the U.S.

— The Record (Hackensack,N.J.)

STAT

Maridee Nye, 94, gardens a patch on the corner of 14th and Lincoln in Albany.

MARK YLEN | TO YOUR HEALTH

lder citizens looking for anactivity that will help bol-ster whole-person health— physical and mental —might want to start bygetting their hands dirty.

That’s the message from Janice Gregg ofthe Oregon State University Extension Of-fice in Linn County, who’s planning to teacha pair of classes this month on “Gardeningfor Healthy Aging.”

“What can gardens contribute to ourhealth and our quality of life?” Gregg askedin a recent interview as she prepared toteach the free two-hour classes. (See the boxfor class dates and times.)

The answer: Plenty, regardless of whetherthe gardener is working on a big plot of landor smaller sites. Gregg said the benefits ofgardening can be useful even if participantsare tending to a simple raised bed or evenjust a handful of pots.

The gardening work can be great for thebody. But it also has plenty to offer the mindand soul as well, she said.

She noted, for example, studies that show“if you work in a garden, you’re better ableto cope with stress and life’s challenges.”

“Gardening can contribute to all of theseaspects of health and wellness,” she said.

And gardens also give outlets for creativ-ity and social interaction with others. One of

the keys to the success of the long-runningMaster Gardeners program, Gregg said, is itssocial component.

But you don’t need to be a Master Gar-dener to start enjoying the activity.

Beginners, for example, could start plantingherbs in pots or a small raised bed. Rosemary,thyme, sage and oregano can be good choices— and, she said, they smell great as they grow.

With flowers, Gregg advised, plant thekinds you like — but be sure to do a little re-search beforehand to make sure you have alocation suitable for growing those kinds.

Then, of course, it’s about paying attentionto what you’ve planted and tending to it.

And the rewards can be great.“It’s about the fact that I planted that,”

Gregg said. “I paid attention to that plant. Iwatched it grow. And there are the real re-sults of my attention to that plant.”

Planting well-beingOSU Extension’s Janice Gregg to teach classes on ‘Gardening for Healthy Aging’

OBy MIKE MCINALLY

Two free “Gardening for Healthy Aging” class-es will be offered this month. A session in BentonCounty will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.Tuesday, March 26, in the Sunset Building, 4077S.W. Research Way in Corvallis. A Linn Countysession will be from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday,March 28, at the Lebanon Senior Center, 80Tangent St. Call 541-967-3871 to register.

I F YO U G O

Like any physical activity, gardening caninvolve some exertion. Here are some tips onhow to avoid injury:

• Use raised beds or pots so you don’t haveto bend your back so much.

• Use tools with long handles.• Garden early in the morning or later at night

so that you’re not working in the heat of the day.• Just as you would before any physical activ-

ity, warm up before and after. Your muscles don’thave to be sore after a day of gardening.

• Carry a whistle or a cellphone with you justin case you need assistance.

T I P S FO R H E A LT H YG A R D E N I N G

MARK YLEN/DEMOCRAT-HERALD

OSU extension’s Jancie Gregg talks about healthygardening activities.

Evidence suggestssupplements may

damage heart whilehelping bones

BY GISELA TELISTHE WASHINGTON POST

When a 2012 study in the jour-nal Heart found that calcium sup-plements might raise your risk ofa heart attack, I was more than alittle alarmed. Might the over-the-counter supplements I’d beentaking to strengthen my bones bedamaging my heart?

The answer: Maybe.“Over the last five years, there

have been some studies to suggestthat taking a calcium supplementraises blood calcium levels andcould precipitate into the arter-ies,” says Felicia Cosman, senior

clinical director of the NationalOsteoporosis Foundation and au-thor of “What Your Doctor MayNot Tell You About Osteoporosis.”“But this whole line of evidence isvery controversial, and I think thejury is still out.”

What isn’t controversial is cal-cium’s important role in overallhealth: Your body needs it tomaintain heart and nerve functionand to build and keep strongbones. The Institute of Medicinerecommends that most adults get1,000 to 1,200 milligrams a day.

But as for meeting your dailyrequirement in whole or in part bytaking supplements, there’s a lotof conflicting evidence. The 2012Heart study and an earlier study inthe journal BMJ both suggestedlinks between calcium intake andheart attacks, but the latter studyalso found that getting too little

calcium can contribute to heartdisease.

The same ambiguity goes forkidney stones, another side effectof calcium supplements. A large2006 study in the New EnglandJournal of Medicine found thatwomen taking a 1,000-milligramcalcium supplement were morelikely to develop kidney stonesthan women taking a placebo. Butan even larger study in 2004 foundthat overall dietary calcium intakeactually reduced kidney-stone risk.

It’s confusing, even for doc-tors. But there’s a common thread:None of the heart or kidney riskswas associated with calcium fromfood. That has changed how manyphysicians advise their patients,Cosman says, and it has broughttheir focus back to what their pa-tients eat.

“We want people to concentrate

on modifying diet wherever pos-sible,” Cosman says. “Most of thedata show that dietary calcium isbetter for you and your bone in-tegrity, so if you can get the cal-cium you need through your diet,you shouldn’t take a calcium sup-plement.”

Considering the abundance ofcalcium-rich and calcium-fortifiedfoods out there, getting enoughcalcium from diet alone isn’t hard.Some breakfast cereals offer asmuch as 1,000 milligrams in a sin-gle serving. Unless you have amedical condition (such as celiacdisease) that impairs your ability toabsorb nutrients, eating a varied,healthful diet that includes cal-cium-rich foods such as milk andyogurt should do the trick, Cosmansays — no supplements required.

SEE CALCIUM | A4

Calcium: Get it from food, not pills

Experts can help with technique, goals —

and accountabilityBY JOE MILLER

THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Trying toget in better shape? Maybe it’stime you asked for help from a per-sonal trainer.

“If you’re in need of a personaltrainer, it’s probably because per-manent changes are overdue andneed to start happening immedi-ately,” says Taylor Carpenter, withTaylorCarpenter Personal Trainingin Charlotte, N.C.

A personal trainer can fill severalvital roles — tailoring a workoutregimen to your needs, makingsure your form and technique aregood. Perhaps the biggest advan-tage: a personal trainer providesaccountability.

Here’s some advice, from per-sonal trainers and those who em-ploy them, on how to hire a trainerof your own.

1. Qualifications. A trainer witha four-year degree in a related fieldis preferable. “A person with an ac-tual degree in exercise science orphysiology carries a better under-standing of how the body works,how muscles work,” says MelanieDean with Gateway to Health &Performance in Cary, N.C., whoholds a Master ofScience. Look forpersonal trainingcertifications; es-pecially look forcertifications thatrequire continuingeducation, whichhelps keep a trainercurrent on trendsand research.

2. Experience. While formal ed-ucation is important, experiencewith clients is vital as well. Ask tospeak with a couple of clients forreferences.

3. Area of focus. Some trainersfocus on specific types of clients.If, for instance, a trainer special-izes in helping high-performing

athletes tweak their performanceand you simply want to lose someweight and increase your mobility,maybe it’s not a good fit.

4. Curiosity. During your inter-view, the trainer should ask youmore questions than you ask thetrainer. “A big part of the process islistening to where they are right

now, what limita-tions there are,what their goalsare,” says Dean.

Knee issuesforced PamelaBennett of Char-lotte to abandonher long-standingmartial arts prac-tice. She’d fallen

out of shape but wasn’t a fitnessnovice. She was skeptical when shefirst met Michael Anders, a per-sonal trainer and owner of ShapeUp, because she wasn’t sure he’dpay attention to her goals.

“I needed someone to listen tome and work with the goals Iwanted to achieve, not try to define

goals for me,” says Bennett. Thatwas seven years ago; she continuesto work with Anders.

“You should feel a comfort levelimmediately,” says Jessica Botteschwith Empower Personal Training inDurham. “Are they taking my goalsseriously and not just prescribing acookie-cutter program?”

5. Commitment. Most trainerssuggest working with a trainer twoto three times a week, at least ini-tially. This is especially true if oneof your problems has been motiva-tion. The frequent visits can helpestablish a routine. Once you fallinto that routine, you can cut backyour visits.

6. Team player? Because healthyliving isn’t simply about workingout in the gym, check to see if thetrainer works with and will referyou to other health care profes-sionals. If you’re diabetic, for in-stance, the trainer should bring ina nutritionist or dietician to con-sult. If you have muscular dystro-phy or fibromyalgia, you mightwant a masseuse. “A good trainer

should have no problem crossingover lines,” says Dean.

7. Cost. The trainers we spokewith said to avoid anyone who re-quires a long-term commitment.“I work on a month-to-monthbasis with a 30-day money-backguarantee,” says Anders. Most per-sonal trainers charge by the ses-sion.

A one-hour session in a gym willrun $45 to $65. (Less experiencedtrainers may charge less.) A trainerwith a related degree will runmore, perhaps $60 to $65. And ifthe trainer comes to you, expect topay $60 to $100 or more.

8. Flexibility. “Maybe you don’tneed three times a week,” saysEmpower’s Bottesch. “Maybe oncea week or even once a month isgood. The trainer should be willingto show you things you can do onyour own.”

Another option: group fitness.“It’s not quite the same tailoredapproach, but it is a much lowerprice point and you still have ac-cess to a trainer.”

Behavior much morewidespread than thought

among adults, elderly BY KATIE LESLIE

THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION (MCT)

There’s nothing quite like astory about alcohol abuse toharsh a buzz, but consider thesescenarios as you head into anyupcoming festivities: A ladywalks into a party and has oneglass of champagne. She’s whatpublic health experts call a mod-erate drinker.

A gent enjoys same party andhas two glasses of wine. He, too, isdefined as a moderate drinker.

But should either of them reachfor another glass, they’ve justpoured themselves into excessivedrinking territory, by medicalstandards. And if she hits fourdrinks or he reaches five, they’reon a binge.

Binge drinking — a behavioroft-ascribed to college kids — ismore widespread than you mightthink, public health and medicalexperts say. One in six Americanadults report binging about fourtimes a month, according to theCenters for Disease Control andPrevention.

Here’s the surprise: Roughly 70percent of those episodes involveadults ages 26 years and older.And elderly binge drinkers reportthe most frequent episodes, anaverage of five or six a month. Theaverage binge involves eightdrinks.

But all that over-indulgence isaccording to the standards of themedical profession. Ask the aver-age person, and they may have adifferent formula altogether.

Steve Power, of Conyers, Ga.,jokingly defines binge drinkingthis way: “When I drink liquorand get drunk trying to forget theday that I had.”

Drew Costanza not only quib-bles with the doctors’ definition —he disputes the assumption that

getting hammered from time totime is necessarily a problem.

“I feel the phrase ‘binge drink-ing/drinker’ is pejorative in that italludes to drinking excessively asbeing necessarily bad, when thatisn’t always the case,” saidCostanza, a 30-year-old sales-man in Atlanta’s Buckhead neigh-borhood.

Costanza considers himself a“weekend warrior,” one who re-serves most hard-core drinkingfor the weekend. He also walks tohis watering hole or takes a cab, hesaid.

Did we mention that Costanzaalso writes a blog about his out-ings titled “Drew Distilled”? Hethinks the five-drink-per-mandefinition discounts variances indrinkers’ size and tolerance.

“I doubt Andre the Giant wouldthink five drinks a night is abinge,” he said in a Tweet to thisreporter.

Dr. Bob Brewer, an epidemiolo-gist and head of the CDC’s alcoholprogram, is accustomed to suchpush-back. “A lot of people aresurprised by that and taken abackand say ‘Wow, that is reallystrict,’” he said.

But medical and public health

experts, who get paid for thiskind of thing, are sticking totheir numbers: For men, a bingeis five drinks in roughly two orthree hours; for women, fourdrinks.

There’s actual science behindthose sobering figures: That’sroughly the amount it takes for awoman or man to reach a 0.08blood alcohol level.

And “it’s the statistical thresh-old at which the risk of significantharm goes up,” explained AaronWhite, a neuroscientist with theNational Institute on AlcoholAbuse and Alcoholism.

Research shows that at thoselevels, people are at greater riskof all kinds of bad outcomes,such as motor vehicle accidents,violence and contracting sexuallytransmitted diseases. And that’snot accounting for what alcoholdoes to your liver and how it in-creases your risk of heart diseaseand high blood pressure, doctorsnote.

“It doesn’t mean at that thresh-old you are guaranteed to suffersome consequences,” White said.“It means if you go past it, it’sdangerous territory.”

Experts interviewed for this

story acknowledged a vast gapbetween their cautionary ap-proach and the messages that per-vade American culture.

“We market drinking as a sociallubricant,” said Paul Olander, di-rector of behavioral health serv-ices at the DeKalb Medical Center.“As a way of celebrating, it goesalong with dates and with ro-mance, and wining and dining,and watching sports and all kindsof things. It’s to the point that itcan seem like without (alcohol),those activities aren’t quite asgood.”

Face it, drinking games aren’tnearly as fun if the limit is one.

The medical professionals saythey’re not trying to make anyonefeel bad about imbibing — justaware of the potential risks andconsequences.

“One binge does not an alco-holic make,” said Olander. “But ifyou keep binging, and running incircles where that happens, you’reupping the odds that you willdeepen your relationship with al-cohol.”

To Your HealthTuesday, March 12, 2013A4

But what about other supple-ments for bone health? VitaminsD and K have also gained favorlately.

Vitamin D is crucial to bonehealth; without it, you wouldn’tbe able to absorb or use the cal-cium you consume. But again,there’s some controversy. Expertsdisagree about how much youneed and how well it prevents os-teoporosis or bone fractures. Al-though the U.S. Preventive Ser-vices Task Force — an independ-ent group of national experts thatissues recommendations on pre-ventive care — last week reportedinsufficient evidence that taking400 international units daily doesanything to prevent bone frac-tures, studies of higher Vitamin Ddoses have shown a reduced riskof fractures.

The K vitamins — particularlyK2, found in organ meats, eggsand certain fermented foods —have also drawn attention for theirpotential benefits to bone health,says integrative medicine physicianAriane Cometa, founder of theCometa Wellness Center in Cock-eysville, Md.

Studies have shown that VitaminK2 may sustain bone density andprotect against heart disease, andthese have been enough to turnCometa into a K2 convert. Shenow recommends K2 supplementsto her patients and takes themherself.

But because most Vitamin K2studies have been relatively small,many physicians don’t yet feel thecase for the nutrient is strongenough, Cosman says.

“It looks like people with highVitamin K intakes have betterbones,” she says. “There is someevidence, but it’s not enough for usto go out and recommend it forbone health.”

It’s worth noting that Vitamin Kcan be tricky if you take bloodthinners, because it promotesblood clotting. So if you are onanticoagulants, check with yourdoctor before increasing your in-take of Vitamin K through food orsupplements.

‘I needed someoneto listen to me andwork with the goals I wanted to achieve.’

PAMELA BENNETTTRAINING SUCCESS STORY

Worried about your alcohol con-sumption? DeKalb, Ga., MedicalCenter’s Paul Olander points to theCAGE Questionnaire as a widelyused alcohol abuse screening tool.

1) Have you ever felt you shouldcut down on your drinking?

2) Have people annoyed you bycriticizing your drinking?

3) Have you ever felt bad orguilty about your drinking?

4) Have you ever had a drinkfirst thing in the morning to steadyyour nerves or to get rid of a hang-over (eye opener)?

An answer of one yes or moreindicates alcohol abuse issuesshould be explored.

— American Psychiatric Association

D O YO U D R I N KTO O M U C H ?

CalciumContinued from A3

THE WASHINGTON POST

Here are some of the topsources of calcium in food:

• Yogurt, plain, low-fat, 8ounces: 415 milligrams

• Mozzarella, part-skim, 1.5ounces: 333 mg

• Sardines, canned in oil, withbones, 3 ounces: 325 mg

• Cheddar cheese, 1.5 ounces:307 mg

• Milk, nonfat, 8 ounces: 299mg

• Soymilk, calcium-fortiMilk,reduced-fat (2 percent milk fat), 8ounces: 293 mg

• Orange juice, calcium-fortified,6 ounces: 261 mg

• Salmon, pink, canned, solidswith bone, 3 ounces: 181 mg

• Cottage cheese (1 percentmilk fat), 1 cup: 138 mg

• Ready-to-eat cereal, calcium-fortified, 1 cup: 100-1,000 mg

• Kale, raw, chopped, 1 cup: 100mg

• White bread, 1 slice: 73 mg— Source: Office of Dietary

Supplements, National Institutes of Health

TO P FO O DS O U R C E S O F CA LC I U M

BY SANDRA G. BOODMANKAISER HEALTH NEWS

At a critical point in a complexabdominal operation, a surgeonwas handed a device that didn’twork because it had been loadedincorrectly by a surgical techni-cian. Furious that she couldn’tuse it, the surgeon slammed itdown, accidentally breaking thetechnician’s finger.

“I felt pushed beyond my lim-its,” recalled the surgeon, who wassuspended for two weeks and toldto attend an anger managementcourse for doctors.

The 2011 incident illuminates along-festering problem that manyhospitals have been reluctant toaddress: disruptive and oftenangry behavior by doctors. Ex-perts estimate that 3 to 5 percentof physicians engage in such be-havior, berating nurses who callthem in the middle of the nightabout a patient, flinging scalpelsat trainees who aren’t moving fastenough, demeaning co-workersthey consider incompetent or cut-ting off patients who ask a lot ofquestions.

“We’re talking about a verysmall number of physicians, butthe ripple effect is profound,” saidCharles Samenow, an assistantprofessor of psychiatry at GeorgeWashington University School ofMedicine, who evaluates doctors

with behavioral problems.For generations, bad behavior

by doctors has been explained awayas an inevitable product of stress ortacitly accepted by administratorsreluctant to take action and riskalienating the medical staff, partic-ularly if the offending doctors gen-erate a lot of revenue. Recently atone Virginia hospital, according toUniversity of Virginia School ofNursing dean Dorrie Fontaine, aveteran operating-room nurse with30 years’ experience walked intoher supervisor’soffice and quitafter a surgeonscreamed at her —his usual reactionto unwelcomenews — when shetold him that aroutine count re-vealed that an in-strument wasmissing. Hospitala d m i n i s t ra to rsshrugged off the episode, saying,“Well, that’s the way he is.”

But that tolerance is waning,Samenow and other experts say, asa result of regulations imposed in2009 by the Joint Commission, thegroup that accredits hospitals.These rules require hospitals to in-stitute procedures for dealing withdisruptive behavior, which cantake passive forms such as refusing

to answer pages or attend meet-ings. The commission has calledfor a “zero tolerance” approach.Such behavior is not unique todoctors; researchers have foundthat nurses act out, too, mostly toother nurses, but that their behav-ior is less likely to affect patients.

Growing attention to the prob-lem has spawned a cottage indus-try of therapists who provideanger management counseling,which is sometimes billed as “ex-ecutive coaching.” Programs are

flourishing at Van-derbilt, the Uni-versity of Virginia,the University ofCalifornia at SanDiego and, mostrecently, GWU.

Most doctorswho enroll aremiddle-aged mensent by hospitals orstate medicalboards that have

ordered them to shape up.Experts say that doctors’ bad

behavior is not merely unpleasant;it also has a corrosive effect onmorale and poses a significantthreat to patient safety. A 2011 sur-vey of 842 hospital administratorsfor the American College of Physi-cian Executives found widespreadconcern: 71 percent said disruptivebehavior occurs at least monthly at

their hospital, while 11 percent saidit was a daily occurrence. Ninety-nine percent said they believedsuch conduct negatively affectedpatient care, while nearly 21 per-cent linked it to patient harm.Those findings mirror a 2008 studyof more than 4,500 doctors andnurses, in which 71 percent tied it toa medical error and 27 percent tothe death of a patient.

Laura Sweet, deputy chief ofenforcement for the MedicalBoard of California, has said thatthe licensing body has investi-gated several maternal or fetaldeaths resulting from the failure ofnurses to contact doctors about aworrisome reading on a fetalmonitor “for fear of being chas-tised or ridiculed.”

“Hospitals can no longer affordto look the other way,” said Cali-fornia internist Alan Rosenstein,who has written extensively aboutthe issue, beginning with an influ-ential 2002 study that found thatbad behavior by doctors drovenurses from the profession. Badconduct, notes Rosenstein, formerWest Coast medical director of theVHA hospital network, can haveexpensive consequences in theform of lawsuits by employees al-leging the existence of a hostileworkplace and an exodus of expe-rienced nurses who are expensiveto recruit and difficult to replace.

8 tips for hiring a personal trainer

Hospitals growing less forgiving of angry doctors

Binge drinking: Not just for coeds

Roughly 70 percent of adult binge-drinking episodes involve people ages 26 andolder. Elderly bingers average five or six episodes a month.

Experts say thatdoctors’ bad behavior

is not merelyunpleasant; it also

has a corrosive effecton morale and poses asignificant threat to

patient safety.

To Your Health A5Tuesday, March 12, 2013

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Please pass this notice on to someone you know who could benefit from this informational seminar

It’s a common misconcep-tion, but osteoporosis is not a normal part of aging. It is a risk factor, but by no means should you settle for poor bone health later in life. In fact, there is much you can do at any age to protect your bones.

Some risk factors cannot be changed: age, gender, meno-pausal status, family history and body frame cannot be changed. Additionally, certain medications and other health problems may increase risk of osteoporosis.

That said, many factors are within your control to promote better bone health, such as eating a healthy diet with ade-quate calcium and vitamin D, maintaining a normal weight, engaging in weight bearing and muscle strengthening ex-ercise, avoiding tobacco and limiting alcohol.

It’s estimated that 34 million Americans have low bone

density (osteopenia) and another 10 million have osteoporosis. Having a fracture can cause limited mobility, limited independence and chronic pain; 20 percent of seniors die within a year of a hip fracture due to complications. Unfortu-nately, osteoporosis is usually a silent disease, and for many

broken bone. It doesn’t have to be this way — not with regu-lar screenings.

Various expert groups, such as the American College of Physi-cians, the National Osteoporo-sis Foundation and the United States Preventive Services Task Force, have slight differences in who should be screened for osteoporosis. The National Osteoporosis Foundation rec-ommends a bone density test (a duel energy X-ray absorpti-ometry or DXA test) for women over the age of 65 and for men over the age of 70.

Some individuals need testing at a younger age; examples include individuals over the age of 50 who have broken a bone, and women between the ages of 50 to 65 or men ages 50 to 70 who have cer-tain risk factors. Depending on results and risk factors, a re-peat DXA test may be needed in two to 10 years.Diagnosis of osteopenia and osteoporosis from a DXA test is based on something called a T-score which compares your bone density to an average young person. Osteopo-

rosis can

also be

diagnosed if you have a “fragility frac-

ture” which is a fracture after a low impact fall.

Adequate calcium and vitamin D are key to bone health, and the best way to

get them is through your diet. Dairy products, tofu and certain green veg-etables (such as kale or broccoli) are excellent sources of calcium; ad-ditionally, some cereals, breads, juices and other foods may have calcium added to them. Vitamin D is naturally available in

or tuna; it, too, is added to milk and other food items. Supplements are another ma-jor source of vitamin D.

How much calcium and vita-min D is needed? The Institute of Medicine recommends:

under 71 need about 1,000 mg of calcium per day

over 71 need 1,200 mg of cal-cium per day

age of 50 need 400 to 800 IU of vitamin D per day. People older than age 50 need 800 to 1000 IU per day. Note that higher amounts may be needed for certainindividu-als.

It may seem simple, but fall prevention is very important in individu-als with osteoporosis or who are at risk for it. This includes removing throw rugs, being mindful of elec-trical cords, wearing sturdy shoes, avoiding slippery sur-

faces, and being mindful of household pets that may be underfoot.

Not all people with low bone density or

osteopenia need treatment with pre-

scription medica-tions; health care

providers can use a predictive cal-culator to help determine who

treatment. Individu-als with osteoporosis should strongly con-sider taking a prescription medication for it. Choice of medication and duration of treatment are very individual-ized.

Osteoporosis not a normal part of agingBy Sarah Swarts, MD of Samaritan Health Services

Dr. Sarah Swarts is a board-

Samaritan Health Services. She

treats patients for a variety of

hormone-related conditions,

-

eases and bone diseases. She

more information, please call

(541) 768-5140.