Page 157 - Mind Games The Aging Brain and How to Keep it Healthy

Support the Aging Brain • 141

Support Structure
Seniors suffer more than 1 million bone fractures annually.
Osteoporosis, which means porous bone, is a condition of the
bone in which the integrity of the bone structure is reduced,
and breaks and fractures are more likely to occur. Many peo-
ple believe it is a matter of clumsiness or carelessness that
causes the senior to fall and break a bone.

Often the bone breaks first and then the senior falls.

The truth is that often seniors break a bone and then fall.
This is due to loss of calcium in the bone structure. Although
osteoporosis often is thought of as a woman’s disease, half
the patients being treated for osteoporosis are men. A sim-
ple, noninvasive bone-density test can determine your bone
mass. In July 1998 Medicare began to pay for the bone-den-
sity test once each year.
To combat osteoporosis, weight-bearing activities such as
walking and dancing cause bone cells to react by producing
more bone cells and building stronger bones. Calcium sup-
plements also help to reduce the loss of calcium and keep the
bones strong. New prescription medicines approved by the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), such as FOSAMAX,
help prevent bone loss. In addition, estrogen-replacement
therapy for postmenopausal women (see Chapter 6 for more
details) often is recommended to preserve bone tissue. Con-
sult your physician concerning these and other therapies.
Muscles and the elastic cushioning of the vertebrae
stiffen without proper exercises. Because 62 percent of those
over the age of 65 do not exercise at all, it is not surprising
that many seniors complain of muscle aches, pains, and
stiffness of the joints. Think of all that exercise can do for
you: increase suppleness, strengthen bones, improve your
balance, and reverse weakness. Exercise benefits us men-
tally as well, but we’ll save that for Chapter 6, “Regain an
Agile Brain.”