PF And Osteoperosis

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If you haven't been screened for Osteoporosis, remind your doctor on your next visit. In a large study at Emery University Medical School, it was found the chances of a male having Osteoporosis increased five fold when lung disease of any kind was introduced. A male taking steroids for a pulmonary disease has an even higher risk of Osteoporosis of nine fold that of the control group.

Chances of a post- menopausal woman from age 60 to 90 developing Osteoporosis are calculated to be around 30%, So if we add add lung disease, and most probably steroids to the equation, we can begin to see the overwhelming risk of undiagnosed Osteoperosis.

Now if we further consider that GIRDS can be a problem in PF, we can add even more risk if symptoms are being treated with Proton Pump Inhibitors or Histamine Blockers. As much as a 40% reduction in calcium (as well as other minerals) absorption has been observed for those taking medications for GIRD. The most pronounced decrease in absorption was found in those individuals taking more than one dose daily of such medicines. It follows then that calcium supplementation should be scheduled as far removed from scheduled medication for acid reduction. For most, lunch would appear to be the most practical time to take supplemental calcium. Below is a table of the FDA recommendations for calcium:

Table 1: Adequate Intakes (AIs) for Calcium [1]

Age

Male

Female

Pregnant

Lactating

Birth to 6 months

210 mg

210 mg

7-12 months

270 mg

270 mg

1-3 years

500 mg

500 mg

4-8 years

800 mg

800 mg

9-13 years

1,300 mg

1,300 mg

14-18 years

1,300 mg

1,300 mg

1,300 mg

1,300 mg

19-50 years

1,000 mg

1,000 mg

1,000 mg

1,000 mg

50+ years

1,200 mg

1,200 mg

Ask your doctor how much calcium is right for you. Vitamin D and Phospherous have been shown to increase calcium absorption. It is likely that a diet need only supplement more than half the RDA for calcium if osteoperosis or osteopenia are not detected in the screening. Very rare instances of kidney problems have been noted with the intake of too much calcium. Here are the upper limits for daily calcium intake:

Table 3: Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (ULs) for Calcium [1]

Age

Male

Female

Pregnant

Lactating

Birth to 12 months

None established

None established

1-13 years

2,500 mg

2,500 mg

14-50 years

2,500 mg

2,500 mg

2,500 mg

2,500 mg

51+ years

2,500 mg

2,500 mg

So the evidence is there for all of us to undergo annual screening for osteoperosis, and if found, begin therapy to halt, and hopefully reverse, a problem all of us with IPF could face sooner or later.

Jerry/Mississippi/54/IPF/dx April 05

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