The Second Component to Healthy Aging
Chris D. Meletis, ND (with permission from cpmedical.net, access pin: 587556)
In the January newsletter article, Five Critical Components to Healthy Aging, I touched upon the five most critical ways individuals can stay healthy throughout their lives. Last month, I began a five-part series to address each of these components in more detail beginning with the first component, cardiovascular health. This month, I will delve deeper into the second component of healthy aging: bone and joint health.
In the initial installment of Five Components to Healthy Aging, I wrote about the importance of maintaining healthy joints. In this follow-up article, I will explore the importance of bone health in both men and women since osteoporosis is one of the leading causes of disability in the elderly.
Osteoporosis in Men
Before I address the factors that influence bone health in women, I would like to touch upon an often-overlooked fact: osteoporosis is a concern that affects both genders. Although osteoporosis in women has received substantial attention, its impact in men is also significant and noteworthy. In particular, men who are treated for prostate cancer with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) may be at an especially high risk for osteoporosis.1-2 Males with diabetes also have an increased osteoporosis risk.3 Furthermore, millions of men suffer from andropause, which also contributes to osteoporosis (see my article on Andropause and Menopause in this edition of Vitamin Research News).
The good news is that the approaches used to strengthen bones in women may be equally useful in men.4
