Bone Mineral Density

[Guest guest]

Hi folks:

Well I promised (threatened?) to post about my BMD numbers when I got

them, so here they are.

Going in I could have believed either good or bad numbers. On the

good side as a teenager I consumed huge amounts of milk and got a

great deal of exercise. In addition, up until a few years ago I

jogged on average about five miles a week, two or three miles at a

time.

On the negative side, I stopped jogging for about five years until

taking it up again - just one mile a week - recently. Also, since I

stopped drinking milk some years ago - because it makes me sleepy - I

have been running a dietary calcium deficiency which I did not

discover until a year ago, thanks to Fitday. I have been

supplementing calcium/D since I realized I was deficient.

So the results? NOT GOOD. To cut a long story short they make seven

basic measurements, four in the spine and three in the hip. My

numbers range from, at the high end, one that is equal to the age-

matched control value, all the way down to one that is on the

threshold of osteoporosis.

This is a real wake-up call. Great to find out about it now rather

than when overt symptoms appear (perhaps the broken arm was the overt

symptom?). I do not think these numbers have much to do with CRON.

It is only since I started CRON and at the same time analyzed my diet

on Fitday that I started taking calcium supplements. But my weight

loss will have been a minor factor.

Two obvious immediate solutions are to raise my calcium intake as far

as is safe (carbonate supplements may be the best route?) and acquire

a weight vest ............. obese people never suffer

osteoporosis. My spine numbers are worse than the hip, so a weight

vest would presumably help even when in a sitting position, if it was

comfortable enough to wear.

It is a little ironic that, according to the AHA Walking Fitness Test

I am very 'fit' (ridiculously fit according to their tables), yet

have decidedly poor BMD. Goes to show that " Fitness has absolutely

nothing to do with health " - Dr. Henry Soloman.

Any input/advice here or off-list will be much appreciated.

Rodney.

PS: I also see the notation on the report: " Statistically 68% of

repeat scans will fall within 1 SD. " I wonder how the numbers would

look taken on another machine? They are as likely to be worse as

better of course.