Aging Bones

This first-ever Surgeon General's Report on bone health and osteoporosis illustrates the large burden that bone disease places on our Nation and its citizens. Like other chronic diseases that disproportionately affect the elderly, the prevalence of bone disease and fractures is projected to increase markedly as the population ages. If these predictions come true, bone disease and fractures will have a tremendous negative impact on the future well-being of Americans. But as this report makes clear, they need not come true: by working together we can change the picture of aging in America. Osteoporosis, fractures, and other chronic diseases no longer should be thought of as an inevitable part of growing old. By focusing on prevention and lifestyle changes, including physical activity and nutrition, as well as early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, Americans can avoid much of the damaging impact of bone disease and other chronic diseases. This Surgeon General's Report brings together for the first time the scientific evidence related to the prevention, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of bone disease. More importantly, it provides a framework for moving forward. The report will be another effective tool in educating Americans about how they can promote bone health throughout their lives. This first-ever Surgeon General's Report on bone health and osteoporosis provides much needed information on bone health, an often overlooked aspect of physical health. This report follows in the tradition of previous Surgeon Generals' reports by identifying the relevant scientific data, rigorously evaluating and summarizing the evidence, and determining conclusions.

How osteoporosis went from a normal aging process to a disease. In the middle of the twentieth century, few physicians could have predicted that the modern diagnostic category of osteoporosis would emerge to include millions of Americans, predominantly older women. Before World War II, popular attitudes held that the declining physical and mental health of older persons was neither preventable nor reversible and that older people had little to contribute. Moreover, the physiological processes that influenced the health of bones remained mysterious. In Aging Bones, Gerald N. Grob makes a historical inquiry into how this one aspect of aging came to be considered a disease. During the 1950s and 1960s, as more and more people lived to the age of 65, older people emerged as a self-conscious group with distinct interests, and they rejected the pejorative concept of senescence. But they had pressing health needs, and preventing age-related decline became a focus for researchers and clinicians alike. In analyzing how the normal aging of bones was transformed into a medical diagnosis requiring treatment, historian of medicine Grob explores developments in medical science as well as the social, intellectual, economic, demographic, and political changes that transformed American society in the post–World War II decades. Though seemingly straightforward, osteoporosis and its treatment are shaped by illusions about the conquest of disease and aging. These illusions, in turn, are instrumental in shaping our health care system. While bone density tests and osteoporosis treatments are now routinely prescribed, aggressive pharmaceutical intervention has produced results that are inconclusive at best. The fascinating history in Aging Bones will appeal to students and scholars in the history of medicine, health policy, gerontology, endocrinology, and orthopedics, as well as anyone who has been diagnosed with osteoporosis.

The Aging Skeleton is a comprehensive and timely book on all aspects of the skeleton as it ages, including basic mechanisms and pathways as well as pathobiology. Chapters cover general aspects and models of aging, determinants and maintenance of peak bone mass, mechanisms of age-related bone loss, quantifiable manifestations of age-related bone loss, fractures, and therapeutics. Covers all aspects of the aging skeleton in one comprehensive volume Looks at the influence of genetics, nutrition, environment, hormones, and other factors on bone mass Provides a thorough discussion of fractures, one of the major consequences of the aging skeleton Reviews current therapeutic approaches and methods Written by internationally renowned authors and edited by leaders in the field Is the only book available on this subject

In the past, determination of bone maturity relied on visual evaluation of skeletal development in the hand and wrist, most commonly using the Greulich and Pyle atlas. The Gilsanz and Ratib digital atlas takes advantage of digital imaging and provides a more effective and objective approach to assessment of skeletal maturity. The atlas integrates the key morphological features of ossification in the bones of the hand and wrist and provides idealized, sex- and age-specific images of skeletal development New to this revised second edition is a description and user manual for Bone Age for iPad®, iPhone® and iPod touch®, which can be purchased and used separately from this book. The App can be easily employed to calculate the deviation of the patient’s age from the normal range and to predict a possible growth delay. This easy-to-use atlas and the related App will be invaluable for radiologists, endocrinologists, and pediatricians and also relevant to forensic physicians.

This volume in the ICAZ series deals with the technical advances made over the last twenty years in the field of ageing and sexing animal bones. The analysis of ancient DNA holds great possibilities for sexing certain faunal assemblages (though by no means all), which is an urgent issue in the study of hunting and animal husbandry. It can be assumed that our forebears used more subtle taxonomic criteria than we do today, and it is important therefore that we are able to recognise traits that will allow for more accurate classification in terms of calendar age or sex. The eighteen papers in this book examine the state of research for various techniques of age/sex determination and assess potential future development.

Part whistle-blower book, part bone health bible, Dr. Lani's No-Nonsense Bone Health Guide exposes the shocking difficulty involved in getting an accurate bone density reading and the serious risks of long term use of the most recent osteoporosis medications. Author Dr. Lani Simpson, both a Doctor of Chiropractic and a Certified Clinical Densitometrist cuts through the confusion and inaccuracies surrounding osteoporosis to explain her whole-body approach to bone health, which includes discussions of digestive health, diet, supplements, and exercise. You may be surprised to learn which foods and medicines hurt bone health and which ones help in building strong bones. The book also sheds light on basic bone biology, how aging affects the bones, the risks and benefits of drugs and alternative treatments, a comprehensive breakdown of calcium supplementation – and some delicious recipes for bone-building meals. We all share concerns about bone health and osteoporosis. Whether you are one of the nearly 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day, or a younger person building a healthy body, Dr. Lani’s No-Nonsense Bone Health Guide will answer your questions and help you live long, healthy, and fracture-free into your golden years.

Since the publication of the first edition, the U.S. Surgeon General released the first-ever report on bone health and osteoporosis in October 2004. This report focuses even more attention on the devastating impact osteoporosis has on millions of lives. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 2 million American men have osteoporosis, and another 12 million are at risk for this disease. Yet despite the large number of men affected, the lack of awareness by doctors and their patients puts men at a higher risk that the condition may go undiagnosed and untreated. It is estimated that one-fifth to one-third of all hip fractures occur in men. This second edition brings on board John Bilezikian and Dirk Vanderschueren as editors with Eric Orwoll. The table of contents is more than doubling with 58 planned chapters. The format is larger – 8.5 x 11. This edition of Osteoporosis in Men brings together even more eminent investigators and clinicians to interpret developments in this growing field, and describe state-of-the-art research as well as practical approaches to diagnosis, prevention and therapy. Brings together more eminent investigators and clinicians to interpret developments in this growing field Describes state-of-the-art research as well as practical approaches to diagnosis, prevention and therapy There is no book on the market that covers osteoporosis in men as comprehensively as this book