I think a lot of women are frightened about the prospect of developing certain diseases like maybe breast cancer or skin cancer. But I haven’t talked to too many women who have expressed concern about getting osteoporosis.

I used to be one of these women. Although I was dealing with all sorts of health issues from my hysterectomy, the idea that I’d someday be diagnosed with osteoporosis was not even a blip on my radar. Then I found out I had osteopenia, and all bets were off.

By now, you probably know that I’ve had to deal with more than a few health issues as the result of getting a complete hysterectomy at the age of 42. You might have also found it as interesting as I have to learn just how many of these problems were tied to unbalanced hormone levels.

Screening for bone loss in older adults can be done as infrequently as every five years, according to Canadian researchers who looked at 9,423 people, ages 25 to 85.

They found that women ages 50 to 54 had the most pronounced bone loss of all the participants -- 1.3 percent. The researchers said this decrease is within the margin of error of most bone density screening machines, which means that amount of bone loss is not as significant as previously believed, CBC News reported.

I don't think there is anything more feared among the elderly than becoming totally dependent on others for help and perhaps being sent to a nursing home because they aren't able to care for themselves.

Fear of becoming dependent is the biggest concern for the elderly Cabrini religious sisters I have cared for more than 26 years. It turns out that suffering a debilitating hip fracture is one of most common reasons a person is sent to a nursing home. And when that happens, all too often people don't get the treatment they need to prevent future fractures and more pain and disability.

By Amanda Gardner
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

SATURDAY, May 31 (HealthDay News) -- A drug used to treat osteoporosis lowered the risk of breast cancer recurrence in premenopausal women with early breast cancer.

The Austrian researchers also found that women who took Zometa (zoledronic acid) had a 30 percent lower risk of the cancer spreading to the bone, with other benefits as well.

CHICAGO - A drug to prevent bone loss during breast cancer treatment also substantially cut the risk that the cancer would return, results that left doctors excited about a possible new way to fight the disease.

It is the first large study to affirm wider anti-cancer hopes for Zometa and other bone-building drugs called bisphosphonates. Zometa, made by Novartis AG, is used now for cancers that have already spread to the bone.

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American women and men age 45 and older have a low awareness of bone health and osteoporosis risk, according to a survey by the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF).

While 55 percent of Americans over age 50 are living with or at risk for osteoporosis, 40 percent of women and 60 percent of men age 45 and older have little or no concern about their bone health, the survey found.

FRIDAY, May 23 (HealthDay News) -- Although excessive alcohol consumption has long been associated with poor bone health, a new review suggests that people who have just one drink a day may actually have stronger bones that are less prone to fractures.

People who have one drink each day have about a 20 percent reduced risk of hip fracture compared to people who don't drink at all. In comparison, those who drink more than two alcoholic beverages daily have about a 40 percent higher risk of hip fracture, according to the study.

By Steven Reinberg
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, April 29 (HealthDay News) -- Two teams of researchers report finding a series of gene variants linked to bone density and the risk for fracture, which might also be linked to osteoporosis.

By Amanda Gardner
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, April 28 (HealthDay News) -- Avandia and Fosamax, widely prescribed drugs used to treat two common health conditions, show further evidence of being linked to adverse events.

One study finds that long-term use of thiazolidinediones -- a family of diabetes drugs that includes blockbuster Avandia -- appears to be linked with an increased risk for bone fractures.