BONE HEALTH CHOICES. AN AID TO MAKING YOUR DECISIONS.

Hi carol,  I typed in my -4 score and got a result. I forgot to also try with my BMI score and see how it compares. Will try this. . . . you could try also - you can google a 'calculate my BMI' and get the figure.

What surprised me (and no one mentioned it so far) was that, with my pretty bad -4 score, my WITHOUT TREATMENT result was:

Of 100 people with a similiar profile to me " 85 will not break a bone" and

" 15 will break a bone".

Next, my WITH TREATMENT (yes, just bisphosphonates mentioned) result was:

"85 will not break a bone"

"6 will avoid breaking a bone"

"9 will break a bone".

It seems to me, unless I'm missing something, that even without treatment, that's pretty good odds. . . . 

Sorry for delay in replying,  J

 

I didn't get quite such good odds, but that's probably because of steroid treatment for PMR, an perhaps you're younger?  Even so, it was still only 22 out of 100 chance of fracture either now or in ten years.  So 78 people like me won't fracture. I think 8 more people wouldn't break a bone with treatment which when you think about it nearly halves the odds.  But at what cost?

Just redid it and used the BMI.  Odds improved, despite a rather low BMI.

Going to do it again!!   I AM on Pred. for PMR but just below 2mg.(though they don't ask).  I'm nearly sure I selected ' steroids'. I'm 64 years old.  . . . No fracture also (? for you). No family history. (? for you).  

BTW , for those of us on steroids, when the dose reduces greatly or finishes, I think the bones recover somewhat - remember reading this somewhere. Maybe it's wishful thinking. . .. Will get back to you . . .   J

I'm 69 and I had a broken tibia a couple of years ago, but there is some question that it was a "fragility" fracture, given the circumstances.  Tibial plateu caused by bending knee sideways when slippiing on ice.  In fact I  believe I was "lucky" the bone broke, or there would have been massive injury to soft tissues, taking far longer to heal and requiring surgery, which bone didn't.   Apparently it was a kind of fracture not used when calculating future risk - this according to a rheumatologist, osteoporosis specialist.  No known family history.  So taking that out does reduce risk of future fracture according to the tool.

plateau

Also redid it. Different results when selecting BMD rather than BMI. Risk of fracture increases - without treatment 38 people WILL fracture, WITH treatment 23 will fracture plus another 15 will avoid fracture.  Interesting. 

(BMI of 21 - not that different to you, I guess.)   J

Mine is actually somewhere between 17 and 18.    I lost a lot of weight in the last few years, especially a catastrophic weight loss shortly before PMR diagnosis, and I haven't gained back more than about four lbs. I thought low BMI actually increased fracture risk because it tends to lower BMD.  Now I'm really confused!

I also lost weight in the year of so run-up to my PMR diagnosis. Felt so stressed,  tired and unwell - but they all seemed vague symptoms and I never went near a doctor, Am now 8st 7lbs. and I find it really difficult to increase. I HATE people saying ' you've lost a bit of weight' - like I might not have noticed it myself!  It's like saying to someone ' you're quite fat aren't you' - which would be quite insulting, and indeed none of your business anyway!! 

Juat keep up the ingestion of yummy carbs, I say.  It may not work but think of all the enjoyment and pleasure to be had , , , ,  !

I cut back carbs when my blood sugar got near diabetic levels, thanks to pred.  (Much better now at low dose.)  Eat a lot of nuts now, instead.  I actually find I can't eat much wheat any more, although other carbs seem better, including other gluten-containing ones.  But I'm feeling frustrated because my clothes don't fit, and even my new clothes, small sizes, seem baggy.  Never thought I'd ever want to put on weight.  For many years I envisaged myself as a thin old lady.  I had no idea what the true implications of that would be!

Well, you know, you can be healthy skinny also and your bones sound ok so maybe, like me, do your best to improve things and stop worrying . . ( We could, of course, be run over by a bus in the morning , , , , )   J

I think that was a cheerful answer...     

Thanks   

Hi Aristotle, agree with you about not taking into account the impact of lifestyle changes. Could this be because, so far, there seems to be little firm research findings about the effect of these changes of fracture risk? I don't know. Also,  the Mayo Clinic obviously uses the medical model in it's treatment of OP. - hence it's focus on the most common worldwide treatment (with all it's problems) of the condition. . . .  J