Breaking News, Breaking Bones First Sotomayor, Now Clinton

A pair of powerful women have made very public slips this month. On June 8th, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor fell as she rushed to board a plane for Washington; ten days later, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tripped and fell on her way to the White House (supplying plenty of monologue material for Dave, Conan and Jimmy). Judge Sotomayor, 55, suffered a fractured ankle, so these days she can be seen hobbling down the halls of congress on crutches. Secretary Clinton, 61, meanwhile, underwent a successful two-hour surgery to repair her fractured elbow, and she is resting at home.

The high-profile falls remind us that postmenopausal women are at risk for low bone density, which can weaken bones, making them more susceptable to fractures. Although she's not familiar with the details of Sotomayor's or Clinton's specific injuries, nor the density of their bones, Rachel Rohde, M.D, an orthopedic surgeon based in Royal Oak, MI points out, "We all tend to lose bone density as we age--women at a much greater rate than men--until the men "catch up" later in life."  In fact, an estimated that ten million people in the U.S. suffer from osteoporosis and 18 million more are at risk; 80 percent of whom are women, according to Dr. Rohde, who's also a spokesperson for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).

We naturally lose bone density, that's the bad news; the good news, there are steps we can take to help prevent it.

• Eat right. Be sure your diet is rich in calcium and vitamin D
• Expose youself. Sunlight activates vitamin D, so spending 20 minutes either before 10 am or after 2 pm, several times a week in the sun with your arms and legs exposed (and without sunscreen), should be sufficient.
• Supplement with D. If you aren't exposed to sunlight on a regular basis, consider taking a vitamin D supplement
• Get Fit. Engage in a regular fitness program including weightbearing activity three to four hours per week
• Quit smoking. Here's one more reason to quit. Smoking cigarettes can be hazardous to your bone health
• Limit alcohol. If you do drink, do it in moderation. Too much can weaken your bones.

Fragility Fractures

Once you break a bone, you are at further risk of future breaks. The American Orthopedic  has developed a program called Own the Bone, aimed at those who have already experienced what's called, "a fragility frature," that is a break resulting from a low-energy fall. It's purpose--to promote better bone health and reduce the risk of future fractures. For more information, visit ownthebone.org.

You can also find information about bone health at the AAOS website, and on Dr. Rohde's site.