Black and Latina women are less likely to get osteoporosis — but they can still get it.
It’s good to know one’s risk factors for various ailments and diseases as we age. But sometimes that can leave those without the risk factors unaware that they can still get the disease or without needed screenings — and sometimes race plays a role.
That was the message from Dr. Deborah Desir (pictured) of the Arthritis and Osteoporosis Center, when she appeared on a televised panel Thursday night entitled, “Women: Maintaining Health & Wellbeing” on Citizens Television’s 21st Century Conversations. The show, produced by OneWorld Progressive Institute, Inc., airs on cable stations throughout the state.
Desir said, “I’ve heard too many times from other physicians who say they don’t need to do a bone density scan on a patient, because she’s African-American.” The scan is a way to measure bone loss, and indicates whether a woman needs to be treated with one of several drugs that help build bone, with the goal of avoiding fractures.
But because white women (especially those of northern European extraction) and Asian women are at greater risk for osteoporosis, that doesn’t mean black and Latina women don’t get it — because some do.
“And the fracture rate directly related to osteoporosis is actually higher among African-American women than any other racial group,” added panelist Ivy Alexander, “so [screening] is extraordinarily important.”
Alexander (pictured) holds a doctorate in nursing and teaches at the Yale School of Nursing and specializes in midlife women’s health issues. The third panelist, Karin Michels-Ashwood, is the medical director at the Hill Health Center.
Alexander developed an acronym as a guide to staying “in shape.” She said women should use imagination in their food selections, pay attention to nutrition, watch serving size and eat smart snacks, keep hydrated, consume alcohol only in moderation if at all, prepare foods in a healthy way, and enjoy their food and exercise.
All the experts emphasized prevention over cure once a malady, like diabetes or heart disease, sets in. They all promoted fruits and veggies and exercise — the tried and true building blocks to better health. They said it’s sad but true that as women age they need to eat less and exercise more than when they were younger to avoid gaining weight.
Michels-Ashwood (pictured) said, “You don’t need to run a marathon. You can start by walking a block. After a week, increase it to two blocks.” And so on. She said even a modest amount of exercise will have a positive impact on maintaining weight, improving bone mass (from weight-bearing exercise), and reducing the chance for heart problems, diabetes and other ills.
“And never diet!” Desir exclaimed, “but never be hungry.” She said eating small amounts of healthful food throughout the day is the best way to avoid weight gain and yo-yo dieting. And she advised not completely giving up some less healthful foods that one really loves, but just to eat them occasionally.
“Life’s too short,” she said, to deprive oneself totally. (But later in the show she amended that to “Never eat doughnuts. Refined white sugar and refined white flour” are not what anybody should be eating, she said.
About a dozen women attended the live studio presentation, and some asked questions of the three professionals who were donating their time. One wanted to know which supplements could be helpful and which harmful for osteoporosis and menopausal symptoms.
Alexander promoted calcium, vitamin D and vitamin C, then added that not all herbal medications are created equal. They often differ in strength and effectiveness, and are not regulated by the federal Food and Drug Administration. Black cohosh can be helpful for menopausal symptoms, but Alexander said it has a very similar risk profile as estrogen, and if women are at-risk for problems from taking estrogen (as in hormone replacement therapy, which was shown in a major study to increase the risk of breast cancer), they shouldn’t take black cohosh either.
As the show was winding down, host N’Zinga Shani asked each of her guests to list the top three pieces of advice she’d give to patients or potential patients.
Desir replied, “Make sure you get answers to your questions; make sure your provider hears you. Eat smarter and move more. Protect your bones.”
Alexander proposed, “Remember In Shape. Write down your questions before visiting your provider. Be inquisitive and find resources.” (She has written books about osteoporosis and menopause.)
And Michels-Ashwood said, “Get routine screenings. Ask questions. If your doctor doesn’t listen to you, switch doctors.”
Shani thanked her panel and also the women in the audience, who, she said, “keep me going” in her work to bring critical information to viewers in New Haven, Hamden and West Haven. She gave out a number of websites focusing on women’s health, but she said they can all be found at her group’s own site.