Q: My mother, who died at age 88, had osteoporosis and was quite frail. I am 69 years old and a recent bone scan showed that I have mild osteopenia and my GP wants to prescribe me medication for it. But I’m worried about the side effects. Would sports (I’m a tennis fan) and vitamin D and calcium supplements be enough for the moment?
Amanda Thomas, Cornwall
TO: Osteopenia is the medical term for low bone mineral density. In your case, the bone mineral loss is not yet considered serious and most doctors would agree that you do not need medication at this stage.
(Like all medications, those for bone loss can also cause side effects: severe heartburn due to stomach acid reflux and, much more rarely, jaw bone cell death.)
What matters is the rate of decline, so you should get scanned again in two years.
Osteoporosis can run in families, so the fact that your mother had it puts you at greater risk. But the truth is that in all postmenopausal women, a decrease in bone density is inevitable due to the loss of the hormone estrogen.
Estrogen helps bones by inhibiting the effect of cells called osteoclasts, which break down old bone, while promoting the activity of osteoblasts that form new bone.
While it is unlikely that you will be able to reverse osteopenia at this age, you can decrease it.
“Although it is unlikely that osteopenia can be reversed at this age, it can be slowed down”
Weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises are crucial to maintaining bone density, so playing tennis regularly will go a long way to achieving this and I recommend playing at least once a week.
Other preventive measures include quitting smoking and limiting alcohol consumption; Both can affect bone mass: the former by further reducing estrogen levels and effectively decreasing calcium absorption in the gut, while alcohol increases osteoclast activity and suppresses osteoblasts, a double whammy.
And yes, calcium (1200 mg) and vitamin D (800 IU) are vital.
Q: I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma 17 years ago and one of my sisters was diagnosed a few years later. We are the only ones in our family (of 11) who have to wear hearing aids and I wonder if this is related to the lymphoma.
Irene O’Hara, Edinburgh
TO: It is good news to know that your illness has passed for a few years and that you ask a fascinating question.
From what I understand, there is no direct relationship between lymphoma and the development of deafness, but there could be a connection for many reasons.
First, lymphoma can often occur in or near the head and neck, or at the base of the skull. If the tumor grows near the auditory nerve or inner ear, it could affect hearing.
Another possibility is that some types of chemotherapy or radiation therapy (if the cancer is in the head or neck) may damage the inner ear.
On the other hand, lymphoma can occasionally cause what are called paraneoplastic syndromes: essentially the immune system attacks healthy tissues in the body, which could affect the inner ear or auditory nerve.
More rarely, lymphomas can be related to autoimmune disorders, and there is one type that affects the inner ear and is a potential cause of hearing loss, which could have affected you and your sister.
It’s also worth noting that hearing loss is common with age – and in 11 siblings, I’m not surprised that two of you have it and it’s possible that the diagnosis of lymphoma in each of you is simply a coincidence.
IN MY OPINION… New pharmacological hope for women’s disorder
I’m pleased to report some good news for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): the disease, which affects about 10 percent of women, is characterized by abnormally high levels of testosterone, a result of excessive production in the ovaries. and through body fat.
This triggers a variety of symptoms, including irregular periods, weight gain, excessive hair growth, and fertility problems.
The current treatment is oral contraceptives, but while these can regulate periods, testosterone levels can remain high.
Now, research has revealed that artemisinins, drugs derived from the sweet wormwood plant and used to treat malaria, can block the production of male hormones by interfering with a particular enzyme.
This is a spectacular discovery and initial studies using anti-malarial drugs in women with PCOS are very promising. Larger studies are underway.
These drugs have a long history of use in people, so if these trials are successful, they could be implemented quickly. Artificial intelligence is busy working to find more drugs that can be “repurposed” in this way.
A strong argument in its favor!
- Write to Dr Scurr at Good Health, Daily Mail, 9 Derry Street, London, W8 5HY or email drmartin@dailymail.co.uk; include your contact information. Dr. Scurr cannot correspond personally. Always consult your primary doctor with any health problem.