OSTEOPOROSIS - How to prevent and treat osteoporosis

A healthy diet rich in calcium, adequate vitamin D 

and regular exercise helps prevent osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis can affect men and women at any age but it's most common in menopausal women. This is because the sex hormones oestrogen and testosterone help maintain bone strength in men and women and during menopause, when oestrogen levels fall, bone loss is accelerated.

The following will minimise your risk of developing osteoporosis:

• Avoiding smoking
• Eating a healthy diet rich in calcium
• Regular exercise – especially bone-strengthening forms
• Limiting alcohol

Following a diagnosis, recommended lifestyle changes include:

• Eating a diet rich in calcium
• Increasing your exposure to the sun to boost vitamin D
• Doing regular strength-training exercises
• Quitting smoking if you're a smoker
• Reducing alcohol and caffeine intake

Osteoporosis medications are used to increase bone density. These include:

• Bisphosphonates – slow down bone loss.
• Strontium ranelate – stimulates new bone growth; reduces bone loss.
• Selective oestrogen receptor modulators – reduce bone loss.
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – oestrogen replacement may prevent bone mineral density loss in menopausal women.
• Parathyroid hormone (teriparatide) - stimulates bone formation and increases bone density and strength.

Source: http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/