Osteopenia is when a bone density scan shows you have lower bone density than the average for your age, but not low enough to be classed as Osteoporosis.
Osteopenia does not make you feel unwell but does increase your risk of developing Osteoporosis and breaking a bone. The chances of this happening depend on many factors.
The Royal Osteoporisis Society has excellent advice on osteopenia which can be foundhere
The good news is there are lots of things one can do to avoid breaking a bone in the future.
- Exercise
- Weight bearing exercise helps to build the strength of your bones, it needn’t be vigorous. Walking is brilliant for your bones as well as your muscle, heart and lungs. You should aim for 30 minutes, on at least 5 days a week
- Aim for adequate calcium and vitamin D in your diet
- Calcium and vitamin D are vital for bone health. Both sources can be sourced from eating whole foods in our diet. Dietary information to support good bone health can be found here
- We can also get vitamin D from sunlight. 10 mins of sunshine on to your skin once or twice a day between March and September is adequate for most people.
- Maintain a healthy bodyweight
- This varies on your ethnicity. If you are under or overweight the risk of osteopenia and breaking a bone increases
- Avoid cigarette smoke
- Keep alcohol intake to less than 14 units per week
Medications can also reduce your risk of breaking a bone in the future. If you have Osteopenia, you will be recommended to take a daily calcium and vitamin D supplement.