May is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month in the United States, which makes it a great time to discuss this serious problem that affects far more women than men.
For the 2 million women who enter menopause each year in the United States, bone loss and osteoporosis are very serious concerns. This hormonal transition can cause a sudden drop in bone density — about 20% — which explains why at least half of postmenopausal women will develop a fracture due to osteoporosis.
Now, let’s bring this discussion into more productive territory and explore how hormone therapy can provide an effective solution for post-menopausal bone loss. At Women’s Clinic of the Rio Grande Valley, our team, led by board-certified OB/GYN Dr. Fernando Otero, helps women navigate the often bumpy transition through menopause, and we’ve had great success using hormone therapies to manage symptoms, including bone loss and osteoporosis.
The reason why women are more at risk for bone loss and osteoporosis as they get older comes down to the loss of estrogen. This hormone does far more than oversee your reproductive health; its role in bone health is significant.
Estrogen maintains a balance between bone-reabsorbing cells (osteoclasts) and bone-forming cells (osteoblasts). This balance allows your bone to continually remodel itself, maintaining its strength throughout.
When the levels of estrogen drop during and after menopause, the balance between osteoclasts and osteoblasts shifts and leads to:
As a result of this imbalance, your bones can lose density and become more porous, leaving them far more vulnerable to fractures.
Breaking a bone at any point in your life is challenging, but if you’re a post-menopausal female, the challenges increase exponentially. We already discussed that half of the women in this group will experience a fracture, but the complications of these fractures as you get older are what really concern us.
For example, one of the more common fractures is a hip fracture due to bone loss and osteoporosis, and the mortality rate within the first year is about 20%. While this is the most serious outcome, these fractures later in life typically lead to permanent disability and loss of previous function.
Another common fracture in postmenopausal women is vertebral fractures, which can greatly affect quality of life as they can lead to ongoing back pain.
As you might imagine, the best way to fight back against hormone-related bone loss is to replace lost hormones. Through estrogen and progesterone hormone therapies, that’s exactly what we can accomplish.
One study on the use of hormones to address bone loss and osteoporosis in women states that estrogen is the best and safest option.
These hormone replacement therapies come in different formats, including:
This wide range of options allows us to find a delivery method that best suits your lifestyle and your needs.
As an added bonus, hormone therapy can also do wonders for other menopause symptoms, including hot flashes and vaginal dryness.
If you’d like to learn more about protecting your bone health through hormone therapy, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our offices in McAllen or Edinburg, Texas, to schedule an appointment.
