Understanding the link between menopause and osteoporosis can
help you take control of your bone health.
TREATMENT | NUTRITION | ACTIVITY
Understanding the link between menopause and osteoporosis can help you take control of your bone health.
The hormone estrogen plays a key role in bone health. After menopause, estrogen levels decrease, and your body begins to lose more bone than it creates, increasing the risk of developing osteoporosis.
Bone loss can happen fast—up to 20% of bone loss happens in the first 5 to 7 years after menopause. Bone loss leads to weakened bones that are more likely to break.
Once you’ve been diagnosed with postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO), it’s important to know that you’re battling a progressive disease, which means it will get worse over time if left untreated.
in the first 5 to 7 years after menopause
The good news is there are steps you can take to help slow the progress of PMO and reduce your risk of fracture.
Treatment is only effective if you take it correctly and don't stop it. Stopping treatment can also stop any progress you have made, so stick with it! And always remember to eat well and stay active, too.
The recipe for improving your bone health through nutrition is to focus on foods containing calcium and vitamin D, two ingredients that can give your bones a boost.
As you look to add calcium and vitamin D to more of your meals, being aware of what to avoid can be just as important. Smoking and consuming alcohol can weaken your bones over time and are best avoided. Additionally, try to minimize your caffeine intake and limit consuming processed foods and/or foods that are high in sodium.
After menopause, it can be beneficial to add weight-bearing exercises to your fitness routine. Learning a few weight-bearing moves can help keep your bones strong and improve your balance.
As you work to improve your balance, you can also learn everyday ways to help prevent falls that can lead to breaks.
Managing your bone health is essential.
Let the Bone Health Essentials serve as your guide as you continue to do all you can to help keep your bones strong. Looking for more ways to improve your bone health? Check out the articles below.
Important Safety Information for EVENITY® (romosozumab-aqqg):
What is the most important information I should know about EVENITY?
EVENITY can cause serious side effects, including increased risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or death from a cardiovascular (heart or blood vessel) problem. Call your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you have any of these symptoms: symptoms of heart attack, which may include: chest pain or pressure; shortness of breath; feeling light-headed or dizzy; or symptoms of stroke, which may include: headache; numbness or weakness in face, arm, or legs; difficulty talking; changes in vision or loss of balance. Before you receive EVENITY, tell your healthcare provider if you have had a heart attack or stroke, especially if it has happened in the past year.
Do not receive EVENITY if you: have low blood calcium; or are allergic to romosozumab or any of the ingredients in EVENITY.
Before receiving EVENITY, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:
What are the possible side effects of EVENITY?
EVENITY may cause serious side effects, including:
Serious allergic reactions have happened in people who receive EVENITY. Call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest emergency room right away if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction including: rash; hives; swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat which may cause difficulty in swallowing or breathing.
Low calcium levels in your blood (hypocalcemia). EVENITY may lower the calcium levels in your blood. Your low blood calcium should be treated before you receive EVENITY. Call your healthcare provider if you have symptoms of low blood calcium such as: spasms, twitches, or cramps in your muscles; numbness or tingling in your fingers, toes or around your mouth.
Severe jaw bone problems (osteonecrosis) may occur. Your healthcare provider should examine your mouth before you start EVENITY and may tell you to see your dentist. Ask your healthcare provider or dentist about good mouth care.
Unusual thigh bone fractures. Symptoms of this type of fracture include new or unusual pain in your hip, groin, or thigh.
The most common side effects of EVENITY include joint pain and headaches.
These are not all the possible side effects of EVENITY. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Approved Use:
EVENITY is a prescription medicine used to treat osteoporosis in women after menopause who are at high risk of fracture, or cannot use another osteoporosis medicine or other osteoporosis medicines did not work well.
Please see accompanying EVENITY full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide.
Important Safety Information for Prolia® (denosumab):
What is the most important information I should know about Prolia?
If you receive Prolia, you should not receive XGEVA® (denosumab). Prolia contains the same medicine as XGEVA.
Prolia can cause serious side effects (including):
Increased risk of severe low calcium levels in your blood (hypocalcemia). Prolia may lower the calcium levels in your blood. If you have low blood calcium before you start receiving Prolia, it may get worse during treatment. Your low blood calcium must be treated before you receive Prolia. Talk to your doctor before starting Prolia. Your doctor may prescribe calcium and vitamin D to help prevent low calcium levels in your blood while you take Prolia. Take calcium and vitamin D as your doctor tells you to.
If you have advanced chronic kidney disease (may or may not be on kidney dialysis), Prolia may increase your risk for severe low calcium levels in your blood, which could result in hospitalization, life-threatening events and death. A mineral and bone disorder associated with kidney disease called chronic kidney disease-mineral bone disorder (CKD-MBD) may increase your risk for severe low calcium levels in blood. Before you start Prolia and during treatment, your doctor may need to do certain blood tests to check for CKD-MBD.
Most people with low blood calcium levels do not have symptoms, but some people may have symptoms. Call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of low blood calcium such as:
Serious allergic reactions have happened in people who take Prolia. Call your doctor or go to your nearest emergency room right away if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including low blood pressure (hypotension); trouble breathing; throat tightness; swelling of your face, lips, or tongue; rash; itching; or hives.
Severe jaw bone problems (osteonecrosis) may occur. Your doctor should examine your mouth before you start Prolia and may tell you to see your dentist. It is important for you to practice good mouth care during treatment with Prolia.
Unusual thigh bone fractures. Some people have developed unusual fractures in their thigh bone. Symptoms of a fracture include new or unusual pain in your hip, groin, or thigh.
Increased risk of broken bones, including broken bones in the spine, after stopping, skipping or delaying Prolia. Talk with your doctor before starting Prolia treatment. After your treatment with Prolia is stopped, or if you skip or delay taking a dose, your risk for breaking bones, including bones in your spine, is increased. Your risk for having more than 1 broken bone in your spine is increased if you have already had a broken bone in your spine. Do not stop, skip or delay taking Prolia without first talking with your doctor. If your Prolia treatment is stopped, talk to your doctor about other medicine that you can take.
Serious infections in your skin, lower stomach area (abdomen), bladder, or ear may happen. Inflammation of the inner lining of the heart (endocarditis) due to an infection may also happen more often in people who take Prolia. You may need to go to the hospital for treatment.
Prolia is a medicine that may affect the ability of your body to fight infections. People who have weakened immune systems or take medicines that affect the immune system may have an increased risk for developing serious infections.
Skin problems such as inflammation of your skin (dermatitis), rash, and eczema have been reported.
Bone, joint, or muscle pain. Some people who take Prolia develop severe bone, joint, or muscle pain.
Do not take Prolia if you: have low blood calcium; or are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, as Prolia may harm your unborn baby; or are allergic to denosumab or any ingredients in Prolia.
Before taking Prolia, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
What are the possible side effects of Prolia?
It is not known if the use of Prolia over a long period of time may cause slow healing of broken bones. The most common side effects of Prolia are back pain, pain in your arms and legs, high cholesterol, muscle pain, and bladder infection.
These are not all the possible side effects of Prolia. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Approved Use:
Prolia is a prescription medicine used to treat osteoporosis in women after menopause who are at high risk for fracture or cannot use another osteoporosis medicine or other osteoporosis medicines did not work well.
Please see Prolia full Prescribing Information, including Medication Guide.
Important Safety Information for EVENITY® (romosozumab-aqqg):
What is the most important information I should know about EVENITY?
EVENITY can cause serious side effects, including increased risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or death from a cardiovascular (heart or blood vessel) problem.
EVENITY can cause serious side effects...
Important Safety Information for Prolia® (denosumab):
What is the most important information I should know about Prolia?
If you receive Prolia, you should not receive XGEVA® (denosumab). Prolia contains the same medicine as XGEVA...
If you receive Prolia, you should not receive...