If you are taking medications for osteoporosis or osteopenia or you have been told that your bone density test is normal you need to know that its not just your bones that you have to worry about. If you are like the many millions of women or even men that have been told their bone denisty registers normal but have multiple risk factors you at that point have lost 10-12 percent of you bone mass.If you already have osteoporosis you have a 50 percent risk of fracture if you bare a woman or 20 percent if you are a man. A fracture is related to a high rate of mortality. So the goal is not to increase the density but to reduce fracture risk.
The causes of bone loss may be age, inflammation, low vitamin D,genetics, hormonal imbalance, tobacco and alcohol. not to mention medications like proton pump inhibitors widely prescribed for digestive issues. The mechanism that is responsible to adding and taking away bone is associated with our immune system, and the immune system is linked to our gut where the majority is found.
The conventional approach looks at the bone density measurement and prescribes medications based on your number. Bone density is not a measure of bone strength but it is the only tool that we currently have. If you also have osteoarthritis the measurement may be underestimating your bone mass loss. Medications to prevent fractures are left on for too long where they are not proven to work in the long term not to mention the adverse affects possible such as necrosis of jaw bone as well as slight increase of cancer risk with calcitonin nasal spray. The only medication currently exists that rebuilds bone is Forteo but that also comes in with a black box warning, and is limited to use for 2 years only.
we need to look at the bone as an endocrine organ for which it is secreting various proteins. It is also an organ which dictates in part our metabolism and hormone production. It is where our immune system originates.