What Every Woman Should Know About Bone Health After Menopause 

The average woman reaches menopause — or the end of menstruation and fertility — in her early 50s, following a multi-year transitional phase called perimenopause. As you approach this so-called “change of life,” you’re probably expecting to experience symptoms like:

• Hot and cold flashes; night sweats
• Lower energy levels; easy fatigue
• Sleep difficulties and mood changes 
• Sluggish metabolism; weight gain
• Vaginal dryness; diminished libido 

What you’re probably not expecting, however, is to suddenly find yourself experiencing the kind of accelerated bone loss that quickly sets the stage for osteoporosis. 

This May, in recognition of Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month, our team of women’s wellness specialists at Panhandle Obstetrics and Gynecology in Amarillo, Texas, is here to explain why menopause is a major risk factor for osteoporosis, and what you can do about it. 

A “silent,” but not inevitable, disease

Osteoporosis is a chronic disease that progressively weakens your bones, making them thinner and less dense than they should be. It’s a “silent” disease because most people don’t know they have it until a bone breaks in a minor impact, under normal stress, or even spontaneously. 

Osteoporosis is most common among older adults, but thin, fragile bones aren’t an inevitable part of the aging process. While it’s true that aging bones naturally lose some of their density and ability to grow (remodel) efficiently, osteoporosis can make your entire skeleton weaker, more porous, and far more fragile than it should be. 

Menopause and accelerated bone loss 

Like all living tissues, your bones are in a constant state of growth, resorption, and renewal. After your body reaches peak bone mass (usually by age 30), your bone resorption rate slowly begins to outpace bone growth, causing a gradual — but not critical — decline in bone mass. 

Osteoporosis occurs when something pushes bone mass decline beyond its usual bounds, causing detrimental changes in bone tissue structure. Older age is a primary risk factor for osteoporosis, as is female gender; women tend to have lower peak bone mass and thinner, smaller bones than men. Another major risk factor? Menopause. 

The reason is simple: Estrogen, the main female reproductive hormone that declines during menopause, doesn’t just regulate your menstrual cycle; it also helps maintain strong, healthy bones. When estrogen dwindles, bone health diminishes too. 

Postmenopausal women account for 80% of all osteoporosis cases, and one in two women over the age of 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis. Even worse, postmenopausal bone loss is often rapid — a woman can lose up to 20% of her bone density in the first five years after menopause. 

Reducing your risk for bone loss before menopause

If menopause is somewhere in your future, there are actions you can take today to support healthy bones as you age. Although your bone mass peaked around the age of 30, you can still work to maintain as much of that mass as possible as you get older.

Remember, the greater your bone density when you reach menopause, the lower your chances of developing osteoporosis. Luckily, the recipe for good bone health is simple: 

• Eat a wholesome, balanced diet
• Get enough calcium and vitamin D
• Keep yourself physically active
• Perform weight-bearing exercises 
• Drink in moderation (or not at all)
• Don’t smoke (or quit smoking)

Unhealthy eating patterns, physical inactivity, heavy alcohol consumption, and tobacco are all osteoporosis risk factors, as are not getting enough calcium and vitamin D. 

If you’re not sure how much calcium and vitamin D you need, we can help. We can also help ensure you’re getting enough weight-bearing exercise — such as walking, running, and strength training — to foster optimal bone strength. 

Keeping your bones healthy as you age 

Osteoporosis isn’t a normal or standard part of aging, even after menopause. Whether you’re still in perimenopause or you’ve recently reached menopause, now’s the time to talk with our team or your primary care provider about instituting a bone loss prevention plan. 

After conducting a baseline bone density test and going over your lifestyle, family history, and medication use, we formulate a plan aimed at keeping your bones strong and healthy. 

In addition to calcium and vitamin D supplementation and continued regular exercise, we may recommend medications to slow existing bone loss and decrease your fracture risk. Options include:

• Hormone replacement therapy
• Bisphosphonate medications 
• Injectable anabolic medications 

Luckily, osteoporosis isn’t a foregone conclusion in older age, even when menopause is part of the picture. To find out how we can help you protect your bone health, call us at 806-359-5468 to schedule a visit at Panhandle Obstetrics and Gynecology today.