OSTEOPOROSIS

By Trevor Shewfelt, Pharmacist at the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy

Have you heard Trevor on the radio? Listen to 730 CKDM Tuesday Mornings at 8:35 am! We now have most of the articles published in the Parkland Shopper on our Website www.dcp.ca

The information in this article is intended as a helpful guide only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice. If you have any questions about your medications and what is right for you see your doctor, pharmacist or other health care professional.

In Pharmacy world, we have a problem. We call it look alike, sound alike drugs. For example losec looks like lasix when a doctor writes it on a prescription pad and they sound similar when a doctor phones it into the pharmacy. Losec or omeprazole reduces stomach acid and is often used to treat stomach ulcers. Lasix or furosemide causes the body to pass out extra fluid and is used to treat swelling and heart failure. As a pharmacist if I get confused by a doctor’s order and give someone the wrong medication, bad things can happen. So we are very careful to catch the differences between look alike sound alike drugs when the doctor orders them. So I understand when people get confused between look alike sound alike conditions such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is when the joints between the bones wear out. Moving those joints hurt. Osteoporosis may not hurt at all. It is when the bones themselves lose calcium and become less dense and more brittle. Do you want to learn more about these two conditions? Call Linda Watt at the Arthritis Society 638-8107. She is putting on a talk Oct 7, 7-9 pm at the Senior’s Center where Bonnie Hopps will discuss the differences between the two conditions and even lead you through some helpful exercises.

Osteoporosis is a disease of the skeleton that can have many contributing factors. It’s most important characteristic is the loss of bone strength. If you look at a bone under a microscope, bones look like a honey comb. It isn’t solid. When a person has osteoporosis, the microscopic structure changes, and the holes in the honey comb get bigger. The bone also gets weaker. Osteoporosis is called a silent disease. Sometimes the first sign of the disease is when a person breaks a bone unexpectedly. For example, someone with osteoporosis can break ribs by coughing. Other bones that can break in osteoporosis are the vertebrae in the spine (they usually compress and the person gets shorter), the upper thigh bone, the wrist, and the hip.

What factors put someone at risk of osteoporosis? Being female, being Caucasian or Asian, being over 65, having a small frame, having relatives with osteoporosis, being inactive, low calcium intake, smoking and high caffeine intake.

What can you do to help reduce the risk of osteoporosis? Depending on your age, you should be getting 1000 to 1500 mg of calcium per day either from your diet or supplements and you should be getting 800-1000 IU of Vitamin D per day. Calcium helps build bone and maintain it, and Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium from the gut. Regular weight-bearing exercise will also help building bone. So regular walks with the dog 4-5 times a week for about 20 minutes each will help strengthen your bones. Also, quit smoking and reduce your caffeine intake.

How can you tell if your bones are thinning before you break one? The gold standard is special X-ray called a DEXA. The problem is the DEXA machine is in Winnipeg and it can take a while to get in and get your bones tested. In fact, you have to meet some pretty specific criteria to qualify for a DEXA scan. Some criteria are being over 65, having been on prednisone for more than 3 months, or having an existing compression fracture in your spine. The reason for the strict conditions is that having thin bones on a DEXA scan doesn’t necessarily mean you are at a high risk for fracture.

I know it is a bit confusing, but having thin bones, or a low Bone Mineral Density (BMD), is just one risk factor for getting fractures. This risk should always be viewed in the context of the person’s age and other risk factors. For example a 25 year old with a low BMD has a very low 10-year risk of fracture that is not much different than a 25 year old with a high BMD. However, a person with a low BMD at age 65 has a much higher 10-year risk of fracture.

So what do you do if you are curious about how thin your bones are but you don’t qualify for a DEXA? Come to the Dauphin Clinic Pharmacy’s Heel Scanning Clinic. We will be using a special ultrasound machine to see how dense the bone in your heel is on October 7 and 8th. Please call us at 638-4602 to book your appointment soon as spots are limited! The test is fast, easy, and painless!

As always if you have any questions or concerns about these or other products, ask your pharmacist.