TRUE OR FALSE?

Being a Caucasian woman puts you at great risk for osteoporosis.

True.

Caucasian women are at high risk for osteoporosis.

TRUE OR FALSE?

Weakened bones caused by osteoporosis are just a part of getting older.

False.

People used to think that osteoporosis was an inevitable part of aging. As it turns out, though, osteoporosis is a disease you can do something about. It can be prevented, detected and treated.

TRUE OR FALSE?

Being a Caucasian woman puts you at great risk for osteoporosis.

True.

Caucasian women are at high risk for osteoporosis.

TRUE OR FALSE?

Weakened bones caused by osteoporosis are just a part of getting older.

False.

People used to think that osteoporosis was an inevitable part of aging. As it turns out, though, osteoporosis is a disease you can do something about. It can be prevented, detected and treated.

Of Special Concern for Caucasian American Women

• Twenty percent of Caucasian women age 50 and older are estimated to have osteoporosis.
• More than half of all Caucasian women age 50 and older are estimated to have low bone mass, which means their bones are getting weaker but they don’t yet have osteoporosis.
• Between the ages of 20 and 80, Caucasian women lose one-third of the bone mineral density in their hip.
• About 15 percent of Caucasians are lactose intolerant, which can make it difficult to get enough calcium.

Lactose intolerance means that you have trouble digesting milk due to a shortage of a protein called lactase. It is not as common among Caucasians as it is in most other races. Still, it affects roughly 15 percent of Caucasians. If you are lactose intolerant, you might be able to eat lactose-free dairy products or those with added lactase. Another option is to eat other calcium-rich foods and ones that have added calcium. If you don’t get enough calcium from food, consider taking a multivitamin or a calcium supplement. If you are getting enough calcium from food, there is no need to take a calcium supplement.

Take steps now to protect your bones

There are many things you can do to prevent osteoporosis and broken bones. These include getting enough calcium and vitamin D every day, doing regular weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises and not smoking or drinking too much alcohol. Talk to your healthcare provider about your chance of getting osteoporosis and ask when you should have a bone density test. Take an osteoporosis medicine when it’s right for you.

Additional Related Topics

Having a BMD Test - information about bone density testing, and understanding what your results mean.

Vitamin D and Bone Health - information about vitamin D and how it relates to bone health.

Calcium and Bone Health - calcium recommendations.

Exercise for Healthy Bones - information about exercise for bone health.