The Truth About Osteoporosis And How to Bulletproof Your Bone Health

The Truth About Osteoporosis And How to Bulletproof Your Bone Health

Among many other critical facets of health that I routinely address with patients at my leading anti-aging practice, LowTE Florida, is bone health.

According to data from the International Osteoporosis Foundation, one out of three women and one out of five men worldwide suffer from osteoporosis, a condition characterized by “low bone mass, microarchitectural deterioration of bone tissue and decreased bone strength,” per the medical journal Clinical Medicine.

Those statistics mean that tens of millions of Americans, mainly older women, suffer from some degree of osteoporosis, which carries huge implications for long-term health.

Let’s discuss why osteoporosis typically affects older women as well as prevention and treatment options.

How does age-related osteoporosis increase the risk of bone fractures?

For an extensive, in-the-weeds clinical definition of what happens during the development of osteoporosis — a process closely linked with hormone changes, as we’ll discuss in greater detail shortly — let’s return to respected medical journal Clinical Medicine (emphasis my own):

“Adult bone mass results from peak bone mass achieved during adolescence and subsequently maintained until perturbations in the bone remodeling cycle – usually a very tightly coupled process – occur and alter the balance between bone-forming osteoblasts and bone-resorbing osteoclasts. In a normal remodeling cycle, the amount of bone lost is the same as the amount of new bone formed. When this process becomes ‘uncoupled’ – as is the case in people with estrogen deficiency, high levels of glucocorticoids, changes in serum calcium levels, fluctuations in levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and changes in levels of growth hormone – there is a net loss of bone.”

Put simply, due to hormonal and other factors, during osteoporosis the cells in the body that build bone (osteoblasts) don’t work at the same level as the cells that break down bones (osteoclasts).

The result is weaker, thinner bones.

What are the risks of untreated osteoporosis?

The major risk associated with untreated osteoporosis is bone fractures.

Rather than just impacting quality of life, fractures of major bones, such as the hip, carries a substantial increase in risk of death (mortality) in older adults who experience them.

“Of all osteoporosis-related fractures, hip fractures cause the most morbidity with reported mortality rates up to 20-24% in the first year after a hip fracture,” note the International Osteoporosis Foundation. “Loss of function and independence among survivors is profound, with 40% unable to walk independently, and 60% requiring assistance a year later.”

Needless to say, a 24% spike in mortality risk is a serious threat that we need to take seriously. 60% of those who break their hip requiring assistance for basic tasks a year later is also a huge quality of life issue for seniors who value their independence.

In addition to less resilient bones more prone to breaking, osteoporosis also causes:

  • Chronic back pain due to spinal degeneration
  • Loss of height
  • Poor posture

The failed pharma approach to anti-aging bone health

You likely know that, unfortunately, for many doctors, the prescription pad is the go-to tool for virtually all health issues — which pill can fix it?

Accordingly, the frontline therapy often prescribed to osteoporosis patients in the United States is a class of oral drugs (pills) called bisphosphonate. Another commonly prescribed therapy is an intravenous solution (injection) called zoledronic acid.

In the US, there are several brands of bisphosphonate medications available, including:

  • Ibandronate (Boniva)
  • Fosamax (Alendronate)
  • Zoledronic acid (Reclast)
  • Pamidronate (Aredia)
  • Risedronate (Actonel)
  • Etidronate (Didronel)

The two main brand names of zoledronic acid sold in the United States are Zometa and Reclast.

Here’s the problem: multiple side effects are commonly associated with both zoledronic acid and bisphosphonates, ranging in severity from heartburn to extreme damage to the jawbones.

From Rheumatology.org (emphasis added):

“Side effects of oral bisphosphonates include muscle cramps/pain, difficulty swallowing, heartburn, abdominal pain, headache, and/or rash. Side effects of zoledronic acid include low blood pressure, dizziness, headaches, muscle pain, nausea, constipation, fever, and/or rash. These side effects may last 1–2 days and up to 10–12 days after your infusion.

There is a rare risk of developing damage to the cells within the bones of the jaw called osteonecrosis.”

In a vicious irony, long-term use of bisphosphonates, even when taken as prescribed, actually increases the risk of a type of bone fracture called “atypical femoral fracture.”

Worse still, multiple studies have suggested that the risk of developing certain types of cancer, including esophageal cancer increases with bisphosphonate use as well.

The bottom line: bisphosphonate drugs and other commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals given to patients with osteoporosis actually cause more fractures as well as, potentially, cancer.

Real solutions for long-term bone health

So, we know now what doesn’t work for bone health.

So, what does?

Let’s talk about solutions:

The critical role of estrogen in preventing and treating osteoporosis

So, if pills can’t prevent or treat osteoporosis without potentially severe side effects, what can?

All the cutting anti-aging care we deliver at LowTE Florida is predicated on the latest scientific research, always prioritizing, when considering various therapeutic approaches, maximum results with minimal risk of side effects.

For this reason, out frontline treatment to reduce osteoporosis risk in older patients is bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT). The research is clear that bioidentical estrogen, in particular, the main female sex hormone that diminishes during menopause, restores optimal estrogen levels in female patients and dramatically cuts down risk of weakening bones and bone fractures.

For example, from Best Practice & Research: Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (emphasis my own):

“Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a frequent clinical condition which affects nearly 1 in 3 women. Estrogen deficiency leads to rapid bone loss which is maximal within the first 2-3 years after the menopause transition and can be prevented by menopause hormone therapy (MHT). Not only, MHT prevents bone loss and the degradation of the bone microarchitecture but it significantly reduces the risk of fracture at all bone sites by 20-40%. It is the only anti-osteoporotic therapy that has a proven efficacy regardless of basal level of risk, even in low-risk women for fracture.”

The Royal Osteoporosis Society in the UK, the medical journal, Post Reproductive Health, and numerous other credible medical societies and outlets recognize the central role of estrogen therapy in preventing and reversing osteoporosis.

The bone-protecting supplemental powerhouse: LowTE Florida ADK 10

One of the fundamental supplements I recommend to all of my LowTE Florida patients concerned about their bone health, ADK 10, combines highly bioactive forms of three essential vitamins into one easy-to-swallow capsule:

Claim your own LowTE Florida® ADK 10 from our online store, delivered right to your door and backed up with our no-nonsense 100% money-back guarantee if you’re not fully satisfied.

To learn more about the many benefits provided by bioidentical hormone replacement therapy that we perform regularly at LowTE Florida, often in combination with supplementation like ADK 10, please feel free to contact me.

We’re always open to new patients.

As always, be healthy and Be Your Best!

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