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Episode 79: What Is Osteopenia?
Stronger Bones Lifestyle Podcast: Take Control of Your Bone Health
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[1:54] Osteopenia 101
[2:46] Building our bones and loosing bones
[4:16] Acidic Blood
[5:42] First Stage of Bone Loss
[7:02] The Stats of Bone Loss
[8:31] The disease state of Bone Loss
[8:54] What to look at in your DEXA scan
[9:45] How the term Osteopenia came about
[10:56] Being in control of our bone health
[12:27] Metabolic and biochemical components
[13:57] Medications
[14:41] Causal factors of Osteopenia
Understanding Osteopenia: The First Stage of Bone Loss
Welcome back to the Stronger Bones Lifestyle Podcast! In Episode 79, your host Debi Robinson dives deep into the topic of bone health, specifically focusing on osteopenia and how it differs from osteoporosis. Drawing from her extensive experience working with women through yoga classes, online programs, and direct consultations, Debi sheds light on these often misunderstood conditions.
Debi embarks on a detailed exploration of how bone loss begins long before most women are aware, starting around age 35. She explains the importance of understanding bone health terminology, the metabolic processes contributing to bone loss, and the role of lifestyle factors such as diet, stress, and exercise. By dissecting statistics and providing practical insights, Debi empowers her listeners to take control of their bone health.
Listen to learn more about the stages of bone loss, the central role of calcium and vitamin D, and the statistics regarding bone health in postmenopausal women. Debi emphasizes that osteoporosis and osteopenia are not inevitable parts of aging and offers actionable steps for prevention and reversal through lifestyle adjustments.
This episode provides a comprehensive guide for women looking to understand and improve their bone health, arming them with the knowledge needed to live a stronger, more empowered life.
"It's not because you're not taking enough Calcium and Vitamin D supplements, it's because your body is not properly digesting and absorbing those nutrients." [6:02]
"We look at bone loss as a disease and there’s a pill for disease. Well that’s not necessarily true." [14:04]
"You are in control of you, so learn what you can do to build stronger bones." [20:28]
Listen to more episodes on Bone Health and Osteoporosis
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Osteopenia is the first stage of bone loss where bone density is lower than normal but not low enough to be classified as osteoporosis. It represents “bone poverty,” indicating a greater bone loss than bone building starting around the age of 35. Osteoporosis is a more advanced stage characterized by even lower bone density, usually diagnosed when the bone density score falls below a certain threshold (negative 2.5 on the Dexa scan).
Bone loss typically begins around the mid-thirties. Up until this age, bones are generally in a building phase, but after the mid-thirties, the rate of bone loss often exceeds the rate of bone building.
Both conditions are diagnosed using a Dexa scan, which measures bone density. The results are compared to the bone density of a healthy 35-year-old. For osteopenia, the bone density score falls between -1.0 and -2.4, whereas for osteoporosis, the score is -2.5 or lower.
Common causes of bone loss include poor digestion, unmanaged stress (both mental and emotional), certain medications (like corticosteroids and PPIs), chemotherapy drugs, and lifestyle factors such as diet and lack of movement.
No, bone loss is not an inevitable part of aging. While some bone loss might occur naturally, many contributing factors are within our control, such as diet, stress management, and appropriate physical activity.