She had a number of risk factors for osteoporosis: low vitamin D levels, a small frame (she’s 5ft 2in), ethnicity (white and Asian women are more prone), a history of fractures, and family history.
But she also doesn’t smoke or drink, eats well, gets 10,000 steps a day, and does yoga regularly—and she’s only 57.
So she was floored when a Dexa scan revealed she had full-blown osteoporosis, she writes for the Guardian.
As Copaken explains, osteoporosis “begins when the creation of new bone can no longer keep up with the loss of old bone.
She’s waiting to get a follow-up Dexa scan before she decides about drugs, and trying to heed the advice of a friend with osteoporosis: “Just don’t fall!”
Deborah Copaken has the cautionary tale any middle-aged woman could want. Among her many osteoporosis risk factors were low vitamin D levels, her small stature (5′ 2″), ethnicity (white and Asian women are more likely to have osteoporosis), a history of fractures, and family history. She is only 57 years old, but she also avoids alcohol and tobacco, eats healthily, walks 10,000 steps a day, and practices yoga frequently. According to what she writes for the Guardian, she was shocked to learn that she had severe osteoporosis after a Dexa scan. Osteoporosis “begins when the creation of new bone can no longer keep up with the loss of old bone,” according to Copaken. These deformed bones are much more likely to shatter. That vulnerability is much more than a bother.
She states that half of women will die within five years after suffering a hip fracture, which is a worse survival rate than most cancers. Therefore, Copaken placed a great deal of importance on treating it, but figuring out how to do so has not been simple. She describes her actions over the past 15 months, including seeing an endocrinologist and rheumatologist, getting her hyperparathyroidism confirmed, taking a daily 2000 IU vitamin D3 supplement, eating more foods high in calcium, exercising with weights, looking into medication options, purchasing a mini-trampoline for rebound exercises, and learning a lot more about estrogen, which is important for promoting bone flexibility. She is attempting to follow the advice of a friend who has osteoporosis: “Just don’t fall!” (Read the entire article for much more information.) She is also waiting to get a follow-up Dexa scan before making a medication decision. ).