Bone health and menopause: General tips for protecting against osteoporosis

Talking to your doctor is especially important. This article should not be considered medical or legal advice.
 
Ladies, let’s talk about our bones! No matter how awesome you look and feel, with age, you become more vulnerable to osteoporosis. With the onset of menopause, the risk of bone density loss sharply increases due to falling estrogen levels.¹ Understanding how menopause affects your bones is an important part of maintaining your well-being and preventing osteoporosis.

What’s menopause?

Menopause is the natural transition marking the end of a woman's menstruation cycles as well as her reproductive years. Most medical experts define menopause as the absence of menstruation for 12 consecutive months, which for women in the United States, typically occurs around the age of 51.² After this 12-month period, a woman is considered to be in postmenopause for the remainder of her life.²

Menopause happens in stages, beginning with perimenopause, the transition period. Perimenopause can begin years before the end of menstruation. During this time, hormone levels fluctuate dramatically, leading to common symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and rapid bone loss.

What’s osteoporosis?

Bone health is a lifelong process because your bones are constantly being rebuilt. Osteoporosis happens when your body breaks down bone faster than it can build new bone.³ This sneaky condition weakens bones, making you prone to fractures that can seriously affect your well-being due to pain and limited movement. Imagine your bones getting so brittle and fragile that every time you bust a move, break dancing becomes way too literal. Nobody wants that!

While osteoporosis can occur at any age, it's much more frequent in older white and Asian women, particularly after menopause.³

Risk factors for osteoporosis

Despite various risk factors, osteoporosis is preventable and treatable, even for high-risk individuals, through medication, diet, and exercise.³ Talk with your healthcare professional to discuss your risk factors for osteoporosis and create a plan that works best for you.

Some uncontrollable risk factors³ include:

• Family history: Having a parent or a sibling with a history of osteoporosis increases your risk.
• Age: Bone density decreases as people get older.
• Body frame size: Smaller body frames often mean lower peak bone mass, increasing the risk of osteoporosis with age.
• Gender and ethnicity: Postmenopausal white and Asian women are at the highest risk of osteoporosis.

Some controllable risk factors⁴ include:

• Lifestyle factors: Smoking, alcohol, and drug consumption contribute to bone weakening.
• Physical inactivity: A sedentary lifestyle contributes to bone loss.
• Diet: A low consumption of fruits and vegetables, or a high consumption of protein, sodium, and caffeine, can negatively impact bone health.
• Vitamin deficiency: Low calcium and vitamin D levels.
• Weight loss: Unintentional weight loss can increase fracture risk.

Some diseases and disorders⁵ also increase your risk of osteoporosis:

• Certain medical conditions, including autoimmune, digestive, blood, and neurological disorders, and breast and prostate cancer can increase osteoporosis risk.
• Hormonal imbalances like diabetes, hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, irregular periods, premature menopause, and low testosterone/estrogen can increase osteoporosis risk.

Small changes, big impact: Lifestyle changes to improve bone health

Talk with your healthcare professional about the best way to show your bones some love! Making positive lifestyle changes can significantly improve bone health and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. The Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation (BHOF) recommends these changes to help manage and prevent osteoporosis: 

• Healthy diet: Prioritize vitamin D and calcium intake for bone health, complemented by a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Include bone-healthy foods like olive oil, soybeans, blueberries, and omega-3 sources (fish oil, flaxseed oil) for potential added benefits.⁶
• Healthy living: Avoid smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, as these habits can contribute to bone loss.⁶
• Exercise: Weight-bearing exercises like walking, dancing or yoga, and strength-training exercises like lifting weights or using resistance bands are helpful exercises for maintaining bone health.⁷

Questions to ask your healthcare professional

Any health concerns should always be discussed with a healthcare professional. Here are some questions you may want to ask:

• How do I prevent falls and injuries?
• Why is calcium important for bone health?
• Am I at risk for osteoporosis?
• Is there anything I can do to prevent osteoporosis?
• What are the benefits and risks of different treatment options?
• Are there any bone health supplements I should take?

Making the right choices now can protect you from future pain and discomfort. Remember, it's never too early or too late to start taking care of your bones!

Related Articles

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• Advocating for yourself at the doctor: What to do before, during and after
• What your mom didn’t know about menopause: Surprising truths and menopause myths