By Barbara Ellington, Gleaner WriterMAY IS being observed as World Osteoporosis Month and in Jamaica, one of three major lectures planned for the month took place at the Mandeville Hotel, Manchester, last Thursday. The other two will be held in Kingston and MoBay.
The Menopause Centre of Jamaica, in association with Merck Sharp and Dohme, hosted the lecture at which the main speaker was Dr. Verna Brooks-McKenzie. Many of the guests had their bone density tests done.
In a wide-ranging and informative presentation, Dr. Brooks-McKenzie told the audience that persons at highest risk for getting the disease are: senior citizens, females, Caucasians and Asians, of slender frame, early menopause, oestrogen deficient, a family history of osteoporosis, calcium deficient and those who consume too much alcohol.
NEW STUDY
Among the medical conditions that will increase one's chances of getting osteoporosis are: diabetes, myellomatosis as well as hypo/hyperthyroidism. But all is not lost, with early diagnosis, it can be managed.
The protocol is now being designed for a study into the prevalence of osteoporosis in Jamaica and the study will be conducted this year by Drs. Chris Rose, Fay Whitbourne-Morrison and Verna Brooks-McKenzie.
Dr. Brooks-McKenzie told The Gleaner that she recently completed a study on Jamaican women aged 40-89 and found that about 40 per cent had low bone mass and six per cent had osteoporosis, giving the lie to the long held belief that black people do not have the body-deforming bone disease.
"In Jamaica, like the rest of the world, there is a higher incidence of osteoporosis among Caucasian and Asian women. However, it did not show up in the Indian women studied," Dr. Brooks-McKenzie said, adding that the latter group showed signs of low bone mass.
SILENT ROBBER
Osteoporosis has been described as the 'silent robber' because most of the body's calcium supply is stored in the bones and there is a tendency for the rest of the body to take its requirement from the bone when there is not enough. Bones then become brittle. Cancellous bones are the ones that break easily. These are the ankle, wrist, spine, shoulders, hip, heel and rib bones.
Dr. Brooks-McKenzie noted that 20 per cent of persons who break their hip bone die within a year. It is therefore important to prevent the first fracture because the risk of future fractures increases by 16 per cent.
The most recent United States Natural Osteoporosis Risk Assessment (NORA), study showed that of 200,000 post menopausal women aged over 50 studied, 40 per cent had low bone mass and seven per cent had osteoporosis. She said that if persons find that they are losing more that an inch and a half of height yearly, there is a problem. Help is on the way. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has just approved a new drug Forteo a prathyroid hormone to treat severe cases of osteoporosis. The drug is not yet available in Jamaica.
"Osteoporosis can be detected by routine x-ray when 25 to 40 per cent of bone mass is lost and the disease is well advanced. On the other hand, bone density tests provide information about bone health sooner so that preventive measures can be taken and lifestyle changes implemented," Dr. Brooks-McKenzie said.
The good news is that with proper diet, osteoporosis can be prevented. Eating the right amounts of dark, green leafy vegetables, mackerel, sardines, natural orange juice, cereals, nuts, grains, milk and dairy products and broccoli, which is high in calcium, will help. These foods are necessary for the heart to function and for the muscles to contract.
