Andrea Singer, MD, is associate professor of medicine and ob/gyn at the Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, DC; division director of women’s primary care in the department of ob/gyn and director of the bone densitometry program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital; medical director of the MedStar Georgetown Fracture Liaison Service; and a certified clinical densitometrist. She is also clinical director of the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) and a member of its board of trustees.
Get healthy. Getting enough calcium, vitamin D, lean protein, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats (like olive oil) is key to eating for healthy bones.
Get clean. To maintain good bone health, avoid smoking and limit how much alcohol you drink.
Get checked. A painless, 15-minute test called a DXA scan will help predict your risk of breaking a bone by measuring how strong or fragile your bones are.
A DXA scan is a non-invasive, painless, quick way to measure bone mineral density and assess for osteoporosis and fracture risk. Also called a bone mineral density test, it helps your doctor diagnose osteoporosis. The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that postmenopausal women with risk factors, and all women over age 65, talk to their healthcare provider about having a DXA scan. Men over 70 should also be screened, and men under 70 should be screened if they have specific risk factors.
Osteoporosis can be a devastating and life-changing disease — but only if we let it.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS