Osteopenia is a diagnosis of low bone density but not severe enough to be termed osteoporosis. The World Health Organization has developed a tool called FRAX that is said to determine when treatment for bone loss should be started.
However both the new diagnosis of osteopenia and the tool are subjects of controversy. Primarily because a diagnosis of pre-osteoporosis leads to prescription of medications that treat bone loss but can cause severe side effects. According to the WHO panel normal bone mass is considered to be that of an average 30 year old woman. That would imply that anyone over 30 has osteopenia since some bone loss is common after 30 years.
Many doctors are against the diagnosis of osteopenia since it tends to unnecessarily scare women into taking prescription drugs for osteoporosis. Sales of such drugs exceed $8 billion a year and drug companies are paying for the installation of bone-density measuring devices in doctors’ offices, drugstores, shopping malls and health clubs.
Bisphosphonates the class of drugs, which includes Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva and Reclast have been known to cause serious side effects. These include osteonecrosis of the jaw, severe muscle, joint or bone pain, poor kidney function, low blood calcium, painful swallowing, severe heartburn, nausea or upset stomach, chest pain and ulcers. There is also evidence to show that bisphosphonates can actually contribute to bone brittleness, fragility, and microfractures - actually increasing the chances of breakage.
Bone loss can be mitigated by natural methods. Adequate vitamin D and calcium in the diet, weight bearing exercises will help stem bone loss. Natural herbo-mineral remedies like Reosto also help to prevent and reverse bone loss. Reosto provides a natural source of Vitamin D and calcium that are easily absorbed by the body. It helps in the production of estrogen and progesterone. It helps restore bone mass and supports the microstructure of bones.
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