Strong

Stop bone density loss before it stops you Stay

Motorcycling to the North Shore, scuba diving in Belize, horseback riding… a spirited 51-year-old, Kristen Rohde had the energy for all of them. But did she still have the bones?

Signs of trouble

Rohde’s bone health came into question in 2006. Lactose intolerant, she’d had low calcium intake for years, plus she’d suffered fractures.

These risk factors triggered the need for a DEXA scan -- the most accurate test for detecting bone density loss.

“It’s painless, requires no preparation, and takes about two minutes,” Rohde said. Typically a DEXA scan enters the health regimen at age 65 for osteoporosis screening.

Rohde’s first DEXA scan showed bone mass at the low end of normal. In 2010, Tosha Ulmer, Nurse Practitioner at Sanford Women’s OB/GYN, recommended she have another. This one showed an eight percent reduction in bone mass. Rohde was diagnosed with osteopenia, a precursor to osteoporosis.

“I was dismayed, disheartened, not happy,” she said. “Physically I felt strong as ever, but without realizing it, I’d been losing bone mass.”

Rohde knew that unless she took action, she’d continue the path of decline that would seriously compromise the active life she loved.

With Ulmer’s recommendations and encouragement, she changed her lifestyle:

• She increased her daily calcium and vitamin D intake with supplements, calcium-enriched orange juice, and yogurt — the one dairy product that agrees with her digestive system.

• She worked with a trainer to build specific strength training into her three-time-a-week exercise routine.

• She added once-a-month prescription medication to help reverse bone loss.

Could this be you?

The 40s and 50s might seem young to be concerned about bone health, but it’s not.

Women reach their peak bone mass at about age 30, then it levels off. By post-menopause, a certain amount of bone density loss is expected.

“We’re proactive in assessing risk factors in this younger population of women because we know it’s not just 65-year-olds who need DEXA scans,” Ulmer said. “We recommend women talk with their primary care providers about their health history and risk factors. An earlier DEXA scan may be warranted.”

“When women learn they have osteopenia, they’re often reluctant to take action because they feel well and don’t have symptoms. But in reality the bone loss is happening and it can lead to osteoporosis — a major cause of disability in older women,” Ulmer said. “We want to minimize bone density loss so women can enjoy vibrant, healthy years well past menopause.”

The road to health

Rohde feels empowered by the steps she’s taken to improve her bone health, but she won’t know the true measure of her efforts until her next DEXA scan.

For now she revs up her cherryred Harley and takes to the open road. “Life is for living,” she said. “And I’m giving it all I’ve got.”

Risk Factors

• family history of osteoporosis

• smoking

• fractures possibly caused by low bone density

• lactose intolerance resulting in low calcium intake

• excessive alcohol use

• early menopause