Osteoporosis: The Bone Thief

Helen grew up on a dairy farm in the Midwest. She drank 3 glasses of milk a day as a child. After high school she began work as a secretary in a local law office where she spent her entire career. Helen never jogged, walked as exercise, or played tennis. She went through menopause at age 47. Shortly before retirement at age 61, she slipped on a small rug in her kitchen and broke her hip. After Helen recovered, she needed a cane to walk.

Is Osteoporosis Linked to Depression?

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has launched a new study of women ages 21 to 45 who are suffering from major depression to find out whether low bone mass is related to depression or stress hormones, such as cortisol. During a 12-month period, researchers will monitor bone loss and the effects of depression and stress on physical health. The trial involves 6 visits to NIMH, where participants will receive a psychological evaluation, a bone mineral density test, and measurements of stress hormones.

Vitamin D Deficiency May Increase Risk of Hip Fracture in Older Women

Underlying vitamin D deficiency in post-menopausal women is associated with increased risk of hip fracture, according to investigators at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. In a group of women with osteoporosis hospitalized for hip fracture, 50 percent were found to have a previously undetected vitamin D deficiency. In the control group, women who had not suffered a hip fracture but who were hospitalized for an elective hip replacement, only a very small percentage had vitamin D deficiency, although one-fourth of those women also had osteoporosis.