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Sometimes, aging (and life) is just unfair to women.
Take osteoporosis for example. This is a disease that causes bone loss, and can increase your risk for serious bone fractures as you get older.
Osteoporosis of the hip or spine affects one in four women over the age of 65. But less than 6 percent of men over 65 are affected by it!
There’s a scientific reason behind this, of course, but not one that makes this fact suck any less.
Men tend to be bigger boned and also tend to go through different hormonal changes than women.
For example, men don’t have to go through menopause. Men experience bone loss, but it's not as sudden as women over 50. Men don't usually have to worry about bone loss until they're in their 70s.
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Unfortunately, women have the double whammy of having less bone to lose and going through menopause, which lessens bone density .
If you want to keep track of how your bones are doing, it’s probably best to do your best to prevent it while you can.
To prevent osteoporosis: Get enough calcium (women over 50 need 1200 mg of calcium per day), vitamin D (from the sun and supplements) and exercise. These three should keep your bones strong and slow your bone loss.
If you have osteoporosis: There are several prescriptions you can get for bone loss that are safe, well-tolerated, and great for reducing fracture risk. You may also need a calcium supplement, and it doesn’t hurt to keep up the preventative measures mentioned above.
Talk to your doctor about osteoporosis, whether it’s preventing it or managing it.
