Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis

Bones are constantly changing throughout our life – breaking down (resorption) and being renewed (formation). When resorption occurs more quickly than formation, it causes a loss of bone density and strength which is referred to as osteoporosis, meaning ‘porous bones’. It is common in both men and women in Australia and bones with osteoporosis are weak and fragile which means they can fracture more easily. The stage before osteoporosis is called osteopenia.

Common risk factors for developing osteoporosis are:

• increasing age
• low hormone levels- early menopause in women, low testosterone in men
• a family history of osteoporosis
• certain conditions like coeliac disease and inflammatory bowel disease
• bariatric surgery
• long-term use of corticosteroids used to treat conditions like asthma, arthritis, and other inflammatory conditions
• thyroid conditions
• chronic liver or kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis
• certain treatments for breast cancer, prostate cancer, epilepsy, antidepressants or HIV
• a history of an eating disorder, current eating disorder or disordered eating resulting in a diet limited in adequacy and variety
• lifestyle factors such as low levels of physical activity, smoking and excess alcohol intake

How our dietitians can help with osteoporosis

• screening for conditions that may increase the risk of developing osteoporosis such as disordered eating, eating disorders, or coeliac disease
• assessing your diet to ensure it is not unnecessarily restricted to manage other conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes, lactose intolerance
• assessing the overall nutritional adequacy of your diet to ensure your changing recommended dietary intakes are met across the lifespan
• recommending options for supplementation to support bone health
• recommendations to maximise absorption and utilization of key nutrients that support bone health
• assessing adherence to post-bariatric surgery supplementation recommendations
• exploring options for joyful movement to determine what patterns of movement and/or rest feel most supportive