Dr. Steven R. Goldstein MD is considered one of the nation’s top doctors in gynecology, menopause and is an Osteoporosis Specialist in NYC. He is also the Co-Directory of Bone Densitometry and Body Composition at NYU Langone Medical Center, a Certified Menopause Practitioner and President of the International Menopause Society
Dr. Goldstein has helped thousands of women in menopause and perimenopause. Menopause is not just about hot flashes and night sweats. Menopausal women are at risk of bone loss and muscle loss due to a lack of estrogen. Thus bone density testing, being aware of muscle wasting, osteoporosis and osteopenia are very important and a frequent topic of discussion between Dr Goldstein and his menopausal patients.
Dr. Goldstein has been extremely interested in bone health and writes the annual “Update on Bone Health and Osteoporosis,” for OBG Management Journal. He is also on the Editorial Board. To make an appointment with Dr Goldstein regarding your bone health, osteoporosis, menopause etc. CLICK HERE or call 212-717-5554
Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones that causes bones to become thin, delicate, and susceptible to fractures. Osteoporosis affects over 10 million people in the United States, typically women aged 50 years or older (the age group most likely experiencing menopause). Although it mostly affects women following menopause, it can also affect men and women of all ages and races. It’s expected that one in two women will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture at some point during their lifetime.
When a woman enters menopause, her ovaries no longer produce estrogen. Understand that bone is a dynamic organ. It is constantly being laid down and taken away until the day you die. Estrogen is very important in bone health, and is a potent inhibitor in the taking away of bone. This is why when women at menopause stop making estrogen they lose bone rapidly, resulting in the conditions called osteopenia and then, in some, osteoporosis.
Osteopenia is the stage before Osteoporosis. Many women are told they have Osteopenia. It is a meaningless term as many of them can be far away from osteoporosis or very well in the middle of it. Which is why Dr Goldstein goes by the Dexa score to determine their bone health.
Bone health is increasingly one of the most important issues for Dr Goldstein’s patients. As longevity has increased dramatically over the last generation or two, so many women are living into their early 90s. Suffering a hip fracture will result in 25% of women never living independently again and 20 to 30% being dead within one year. Dr Goldstein has told his patients that they should be as concerned about their bone health and preventing bone loss as any other aspect of their lives as they pursue “healthy aging.”
Many patients will spend more than 40% of their lives in a post reproductive (menopausal) state. There are very real consequences medically of the lack of estrogen production that menopause brings. Loss of bone mass can occur quite rapidly. Osteoporotic fractures are a significant medical issue as the population ages more and more. A 50-year-old woman who does not already have cancer or heart disease has a life expectancy of 91.
A new and equally important part of bone health is the concept of sarcopenia. This is the inevitable loss of muscle mass as one ages. Like everything else in life, however, it will follow a bell-shaped curve.
Consider the following: at one far end of the extreme bell-shaped curve is an 84-year-old woman who is frail, slightly timid and slightly unsteady in her gait. The opposite far end of the bell-shaped curve is someone with the fitness of Jane Fonda.
I want all of my patients to be from the middle 50th percentile towards the Jane Fonda end of the curve. If one has developed severe muscle wasting of aging and has low bone mass (whether osteopenia or osteoporosis), sarcopenia will have a multiplier effect, not just an additive effect. Thus, exercise to maintain strength and muscle mass, which is an important component of balance is essential in the overall picture of bone health.
The following factors make a person more likely to develop Osteoporosis:
Osteoporosis isn’t generally accompanied by symptoms in its early stages and a person may not be aware of it until they fracture or break a bone. This is why Dr. Goldstein is careful to screen his patients in menopause for Osteoporosis, Osteopenia and Sarcopenia.
As your disease progresses, you might have signs and symptoms such as:
*If you notice any of these problems or have an elevated risk for osteoporosis, make an appointment with Dr. Goldstein for an evaluation and personalized treatment plan.
Most of the commonly employed medications to prevent and treat osteoporosis are “anti-resorptives” (they inhibit the taking away of bone like estrogen did yielding a net positive balance). There are some injectables that are anabolic bone drugs (like Forteo or Tymlos) that actually build bone but do not inhibit some of it’s taking away. Previously these have been reserved for the most severe cases and are limited to 18 months of use because of some bone cancers observed in rodents.
The main goal of treatment will be to PREVENT fractures and breaks.
Osteoporosis is a condition that shouldn’t be taken lightly. A broken bone can result in hospitalization and even surgery. If you are suffering from osteoporosis, contact Dr. Goldstein’s women’s health office today!
Dr. Goldstein specializes in treating and identifying women with osteoporosis in New York. Keep up to date with your bone health and schedule an appointment for osteoporosis screening and treatment at our women’s health clinic in New York. To schedule your consultation with the top osteoporosis doctor in New York, please call (212) 717-5554 today or CLICK HERE!
October 18th 2021 was World Menopause Day. See Dr Goldstein’s interview with the International Menopause Society regarding bone health and the role of muscle, which is very important for midlife women and beyond.
appointment requestTHIS WEBSITE DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE
The information on this site (or blog or article) is not a substitute for in office medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The information is provided for informational or educational purposes only
