An Update on Osteoporosis

Our skeleton is not a fixed structure. We are building bone and breaking down bone throughout our entire life. When and how does normal musculoskeletal aging become a medical issue?

Gina Woods, MD, a board-certified endocrinologist, explains the ways bone density changes over time and what internal and external factors can influence bone density. She shares how you can evaluate your fracture risk as well as new approaches to prevention and treatment.

Watch Osteoporosis 2018: Approaches to Prevention and Treatment – Research on Aging

Healthy Bones & Joints

8232Bone and joint problems are among the most common medical maladies, affecting more than 1.7 billion people worldwide. Whether it’s due to an accident or fall, a workplace, sports, and war-related injury, or caused by disease, one out of every two Americans head to the physician’s office seeking help for musculoskeletal problems.

In this new Mini Medical School series from UC San Francisco, Bones and Joints: Injury, Repair and Keeping Them Healthy, you’ll learn more about common issues in bone and joint injuries, and get an in-depth glimpse at what’s being done to improve patient care and outcomes.

Pain Management: Explore pain management options for the common orthopaedic conditions of low back pain and knee osteoarthritis.

The Skeleton: The skeleton is remarkably engineered to provide structural support, protect vital parts and facilitate movement. Discover bone biomechanics and how we can leverage the properties of bone to better engineer skeletal repair.

Trauma: Learn about trauma and bone injuries in North America and internationally. See what research is being done to improve care of patients with bone injuries.

Diabetes: Diabetes complications include limb disorders. Find out about preventative measures for diabetic foot care, and diabetic amputation.

Spine, Neck and Lower Back Injuries: Doctors from UCSF department of Orthopaedic Surgery look at injuries to the spine, neck and lower back.

A Look Inside the Orthopaedic Trauma Institute: Meet some of the of UCSF Orthopaedic Department surgeons, as they review the educational programs, basic research, clinical research and outreach programs at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.

Explore all episodes of Bones and Joints: Injury, Repair and Keeping Them Healthy.

Save Your Bones! Osteoporosis Update 2013

According to a recent study from the Center for Disease Control, Osteoporosis affects nearly one in ten people over the age of 50.

Osteoporosis is an impairment of the bones that results from low bone density and can lead to brittle bones, making them very prone to fractures.

As you age, you become more vulnerable to Osteoporosis — especially women, as estrogen levels decrease. Many other factors can increase one’s risk of developing the disease including high salt and caffeine intake, inadequate physical activity, smoking, and drinking too much alcohol.

The good news? Awareness can prevent complications and fractures through lifestyle changes that include diet, increased physical activity, and learning how to prevent falls which can be extremely dangerous for people with Osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis expert and Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, Heather L. Hofflich, shares everything she’s learned about the disease in this month’s Stein Institute for Research on Aging public lecture.

Watch Osteoporosis Update 2013 for Hofflich’s tips on prevention and treatment:

Check out other videos from the Stein Institute for Research on Aging.