Jain Digest 1999 11 Vol 15 No 04

SR No.: 527076
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Federation of JAINA
Publisher: USA Federation of JAINA
Publication Year: 1999
Total Pages: 32
Language: English
Classification: Magazine, USA_Jain Digest, & USA
File Size: 5 MB

Page 21

FOR OUR HEALTH
OSTEOPOROSIS
Osteoporosis is a disease of the skeleton characterized by a loss of calcium from the bones to the point where they become brittle and prone to fracture. In other words, the bones lose density. What Causes Osteoporosis?
Until age 40, the process of breaking down (calcium loss) and building up (calcium deposit) bone is in complete balance. How ever, with advanced age, loss of calcium outpaces calcium deposition, resulting in brittleness and fractures.
Who Gets Osteoporosis?
The incidence of osteoporosis varies between men and women. Eighty percent of the 24 million Americans with osteoporosis are women. Half of all women over the age of 50 have at least a partial manifestation of the disease. After menopause, production of estrogen in women decreases and this effect results in an increased loss of calcium and bone fragility. In men, osteoporosis is less common. It usually affects short, thin men with weak thigh muscles. Major risk factors for the disease include diets that are
low in calcium and/or vitamin D. Asian women, due to relatively decreased bone mass, low-calcium diets, and minimal exercise, have a higher incidence. Certain medications (e.g. Malox), cigarette smoking, coffee (more than two cups per day), lack of sunlight, and depression can also play a role in initiating or aggravating the disease. The diagnosis of osteoporosis is confirmed medically by measuring bone density through x-ray techniques. This is a painless, outpatient test and can be performed in a few minutes. Experts recommend a bone density test for post-menopausal women who have one or more of the basic risk factors or who have had a fracture. Blood tests for calcium are typically not useful as these levels in the body will be normal even with advanced disease.
How Can Osteoporosis Be Prevented?
Exercise is very important for increasing bone mass and should begin during the teenage years, as this time of life is important for bone growth. Daily, brisk walks for 20-30 minutes combined with
by Dr. Dilip Shah, Chicago,IL Chirag Shah, Yale University School of Medicine
weight training and specific back exercises will strengthen the back, thigh, and hipbones in older individuals. Low-impact Yoga and Tai Chi will improve balance and decrease the risk of falling. A calcium intake of 1200 mg. a day is a minimal recommendation for normal individuals and 2000 mg. a day is required for breastfeeding women. Dietary sources of calcium include milk fortified with vitamin D, broccoli, turnip greens, and almonds. Tofu prepared with calcium is rich in plant chemicals, called Isofavones, which have been shown to increase bone density significantly. Calcium is also available through commercial brands such as Caltrate, Os-Cal, Tums, and Citracal, all of which are good supplements due to their high concentrations of calcium. Vitamin D is also a necessity for calcium absorption and can be obtained through exposure to sunlight or from dietary sources. For women, Hormone-Replacement Therapy (HRT)- the administration of estrogen with or without progesterone- has been shown to increase bone density and reduce fractures. In one study, the risk for hip fractures decreased by 4-11% for every year of HRT. The use of estro
gen alone has raised some concern due to its association with an increased risk of uterine cancer but a new drug, Evista, appears to be somewhat safer in this regard. Another new medication called Fosamax may also prove to be useful in the prevention of hip, back, and wrist fractures. Ongoing research looks promising for safer and more effective drugs. Consult your physician for more details about the various available treatment options. More detailed information can be obtained from the following organization:
National Osteoporosis Foundation 1150 17th Street, N.W., Suite 500, Washington, D.C. 20036-4603 http://www.not.org/
Please send all questions or comments to the following address: Dilip Shah, M.D.
1508 Midwest Club Oak Brook, IL 60523 dilipshahmd@yahoo.com.
Shall We Think A Fresh? (Continued from Page 18)
and Päp seems to be oversimplified. There is no machinery somewhere in the space, which maintains the accounts of our good or bad activities and gives us fruits at the appropriate time. But such account is maintained within ourselves. Whatever we do or think, leaves its impact within. If our action is wholesome, we get purer within; and if it is unwholesome, the inner spirit gets impure. That impact is instantaneous, there is no waiting period. Such inner purity or impurity itself is Punya or Päp. Since our physical vocal and mental apparatus continues to work, we happen to gain purity or acquire impurity every moment. Thereby, the inner purity or impurity gets lighter or deeper depending upon the type of activities and, in due course, that becomes the part of our nature Such deep rooted tendencies are termed as Sanskär. They stay with us even at the end of life and lead us to a new life appropriate to such Sanskär.
JAIN DIGEST. WINTER 1999/19