Experts Urge 1,000-1,200 mg Calcium for Osteopenia as Bone Loss Can Start Before 65
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 14
Experts Urge 1,000-1,200 mg Calcium for Osteopenia as Bone Loss Can Start Before 65
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 14
Summary
52-year-old Melissa Graybill paid out of pocket for a DEXA scan and learned she had osteopenia in her left hip and spine, despite being below the usual U.S. screening age of 65.
Experts say bone thinning often begins earlier in women because menopause-related estrogen loss accelerates breakdown, and untreated osteopenia can progress to osteoporosis and fracture.
Weight-bearing exercise, jumping and strength training for the core, back and legs are the main non-drug steps; Templeton advises avoiding waist-bending trunk moves because spinal fractures are common.
Diet changes are also central: experts recommend 1,000 to 1,200 milligrams of calcium daily from food, about 1,000 IU of vitamin D, and protein intake as high as 0.8 grams per pound of body weight.
The stakes rise sharply with age—about 1 in 3 people over 50 who break a hip die within a year—prompting experts to also push smoking cessation and, for some menopausal women, hormone therapy.