YOU KNOW, IT OCCUPIES A SIZABLE PORTION OF OUR BODIES.
ONE WE GENERALLY DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO, OR EVEN WORRY
ABOUT, UNTIL SOMETHING GOES WRONG.
LADIES, I'M TALKING ABOUT OUR BONES.
GET THIS--- MORE THAN 10 MILLION ADULTS, IN THE U-S, HAVE
OSTEOPOROSIS.
A STAGGERING 8 MILLION OF THOSE, WOMEN.
JOINING US, TODAY, IN SEGMENT ONE OF OUR FOUR PART SERIES ON
OSTEOPOROSIS, IS SUSAN RAWLINS, A NURSE PRACTITIONER, ALONG WITH
DOCTOR SOL EPSTEIN, HERE TO DISCUSS THIS FAR TOO COMMON
HEALTH ISSUE.
DOCTOR, LET ME START WITH YOU.
LET'S TALK ABOUT OSTEOPOROSIS, WHAT IT IS, AND WHAT IT COULD DO
TO A WOMAN WHEN SHE'S DIAGNOSED WITH IT.
I WELCOME THIS OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT A DISEASE WHICH IS
NOT RECOGNIZED, UNDER DIAGNOSED,---.
UH HUH.
---AND UNDER TREATED.
IT'S A DISEASE THAT CAUSES YOUR BONES TO FRACTURE.
AND, THIS IS CAUSED BY A NUMBER OF FACTORS.
ONE OF WHICH IS INCREASE IN AGE.
IN THE WOMAN, IT IS THE LOSS OF ESTROGEN, AFTER MENOPAUSE.
ALL OF THIS LEADS TO DETERIORATION IN THE TYPE OF
BONE.
THE QUALITY OF THE BONE.
THE BONE BECOMES THINNER.
IT BECOMES FRAGILE.
IT CANNOT WITHSTAND WHAT WE WOULD CALL ORDINARY STRESSES.
AND BOOM, THE BONES BREAK.
NOW SUSAN, GIVE ME, LIKE, THE BIG PICTURE, AS IT RELATES TO
OSTEOPOROSIS.
WELL, OSTEOPOROSIS IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM FOR MEN AND
WOMEN, BUT IT'S A MUCH BIGGER PROBLEM FOR WOMEN.
UH, PEOPLE DIAGNOSED WITH OSTEOPOROSIS, 80% ARE WOMEN.
UH HUH.
AND, 20% ARE MEN.
SO, WE WOMEN HAVE TO REALLY BE CONCERNED WITH IT.
WE HAVE TO, UH, GET OUR HEALTH CHECK UPS SO THAT THEY CAN FIND
OUT WHETHER WE HAVE OSTEOPOROSIS OR NOT.
NOW DOCTOR, IS GENETICS, DIET, ARE THOSE FACTORS, TOO?
I THINK IT'S A WHOLE HOST OF FACTORS.
UH HUH.
BUT, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT GENETICS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE.
THERE ARE OTHER RISK FACTORS THAT, UH, WOMEN SHOULD BE AWARE
OF.
I THINK THE MENOPAUSE.
I THINK, IF THEY'VE HAD A PREVIOUS FRACTURE.
IF THEY SMOKE.
EXCESS ALCOHOL.
UH, FAMILY HISTORY.
UH HUH.
ALL OF THESE FACTORS MAKE THE PATIENT PRONE TO OSTEOPOROSIS.
NOW SUSAN, WHEN A WOMAN COMES IN, AND I'M SURE YOU SEE THEM
DAILY, AND THEY'RE DIAGNOSED WITH OSTEOPOROSIS, WHAT ARE
THEIR MAIN CONCERNS WHEN THEY COME AND SEE YOU?
LOSS OF THEIR FREEDOM,---.
YES.
---LOSS OF THEIR INDEPENDENCE, THEY'RE AFRAID OF FALLING, AND
HIP FRACTURES ARE A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WHEN THEY FALL, AND MANY
TIMES, IT'S WHAT MAKES WOMEN MOVE FROM INDEPENDENT LIVING
INTO ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, 30% OF WOMEN WILL DIE WITHIN 12 MONTHS OF
HAVING A HIP FRACTURE.
SO, IT IS A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM.
AND DOCTOR, WHAT KIND OF PROACTIVE MEASURES CAN A WOMAN
TAKE, INCLUDING MEDICATION, TO HELP, UH, EITHER PREVENT, OR
EVEN TREAT OSTEOPOROSIS?
EXERCISE,---.
UH HUH.
---HEALTHY DIET, DON'T FORGET YOUR CALCIUM AND VITAMIN D.
AND, WHEN YOU COME TO MEDICATIONS, THERE'S A CLASS OF
DRUGS CALLED THE BIPHOSPHONATES, WHICH ALENDRONATE SODIUM
FOSAMAX, WAS, AND IS, THE WORLD LEADER, AND THERE IS A NEW
FORMULATION, AN ORAL FORM OF THIS, WHICH HELPS PATIENTS WHO
HAVE PROBLEMS TAKING PILLS;---.
OK.
---PATIENTS ON A LOT OF PILLS, FOR OTHER DISEASES; AND WITH
THIS NEW MEDICATION, UH, IT IS A, AN EFFERVESCENT FORM, IT IS A
TABLET, IT'S PUT INTO LIQUID,---.
OH!
---AND, UH, THIS WILL EASE SOME OF THE CONCERNS WITH THE
PATIENTS WHO MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY IN SWALLOWING, AS WELL AS THOSE
WHO DON'T LIKE TO TAKE PILLS.
CAN YOU SHOW ME HOW IT WORKS?
YES.
WE HAVE SOME, UH, BINOSTO.
BINSTO?
WHICH IS ALENDRONATE SODIUM, WHICH HAS BEEN USED FOR MANY,
MANY YEARS.
IT'S WELL KNOWN TO TAKE CARE OF OSTEOPOROSIS.
AND, YOU JUST DROP A TABLET INTO 4 OUNCES OF WATER.
AND, THE NICE THING ABOUT THIS IS IT'S A SMALL VOLUME TO DRINK.
MANY WOMEN DON'T WANT TO DRINK A BIG GLASS OF WATER, WHICH YOU
HAVE TO IF YOU TAKE A PILL, TO, TO MOVE THE PILL THROUGH YOUR
SYSTEM.
UH HUH.
WITH BINOSTO, IT DISSOLVES IN JUST 4 OUNCES OF WATER, YOU WAIT
5 MINUTES, AND THEN YOU JUST DRINK THE WATER.
AND, THAT'S IT?
AND, THAT'S IT.
NOW, MAKE SURE YOU USE TAP WATER.
DON'T USE ANY OF THE FANCY MINERAL WATERS, OR ANYTHING.
YOU JUST WANT TO USE PLAIN TAP WATER, DROP YOUR TABLET IN, WAIT
5 MINUTES, AND YOU'RE GOOD TO GO.
ALRIGHT.
SO, LET'S WAIT THOSE 5 MINUTES.
LET THE MAGIC WORK, THERE.
WE'RE GONNA COME BACK, TALK SOME MORE
ABOUT OSTEOPOROSIS, AND ALSO, WHEN WE COME BACK, WE'RE
GONNA BE MEETING ONE OF THE MANY
FACES OF OSTEOPOROSIS, AS WE GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL.
THE BALANCING ACT CONTINUES.
STAY RIGHT THERE.