You CAN Stop Your Crumbling Bones… But You Must Stop Drinking: DR. MARTIN SCURR reveals how to prevent osteoporosis without medication

Q: My mother, who died at age 88, had osteoporosis and was quite weak. I am 69 and a recent bone scan showed that I have mild osteopenia and my GP wants to prescribe medication for that. But I’m worried about the side effects. Would exercise (I am an avid tennis player) and vitamin D and calcium supplements be sufficient for the time being?

Amanda Thomas, Cornwall

A: Osteopenia is the medical term for low bone mineral density. In your case, bone mineral loss is not yet considered serious and most doctors agree that you do not need medication at this stage.

(Like all medicines, bone loss medicines can also potentially cause side effects – severe heartburn due to stomach acid reflux and, much more rarely, the death of cells in the jawbone.)

What matters is the rate of deterioration, so you should be rescanned in two years.

Osteoporosis can run in families, so the fact that your mother had it puts you at greater risk. But the truth is that in all women after menopause, a decrease in bone density is inevitable due to the loss of the hormone estrogen.

Estrogen helps bones by inhibiting the effect of cells called osteoclasts that break down old bone, while also promoting the activity of osteoblasts that build new bone.

Although you are unlikely to reverse osteopenia at this age, you can slow it down.

Weight-bearing and strengthening exercises are crucial for maintaining bone density, so playing tennis regularly can help you immensely and I recommend playing at least once a week.

Other preventive steps include quitting smoking and limiting alcohol intake – both can affect bone mass: the former by further lowering estrogen levels and effectively lowering calcium absorption in the intestines, while alcohol increases osteoclast activity and suppresses osteoblasts, a double whammy .

And yes, calcium (1,200 mg) and vitamin D (800 IU) are essential.

Q: I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma 17 years ago, and a few years later one of my sisters was diagnosed. We are the only ones in our family (of 11) who have to wear hearing aids and I’m wondering if this is related to the lymphoma?

Irene O’Hara, Edinburgh

A: It’s good news to hear that your illness has been going on for several years – and you ask a fascinating question.

As far as I understand there is no direct relationship between lymphoma and the onset of deafness, but there may be a connection for many reasons.

First, lymphoma can often occur in or near the head, neck, or base of the skull. If the tumor grows close to the auditory nerve or inner ear, it can affect hearing.

Another possibility is that some forms of chemotherapy or radiation – if the cancer is in the head or neck – can damage the inner ear.

In addition, lymphoma can occasionally cause so-called paraneoplastic syndromes; Essentially, the immune system attacks healthy tissues in the body, which can affect the inner ear or auditory nerve.

More rarely, lymphomas can be linked to autoimmune diseases – and there is a type that affects the inner ear and is a possible cause of hearing loss, which you and your sister may have suffered from.

It’s also worth noting that hearing loss often occurs with age – and with 11 siblings, I’m not surprised that two of you have it and it’s possible that the diagnosis of lymphoma in each of you is just a coincidence.

IN MY OPINION… New hope for drugs for women’s disorder

I’m happy to report good news for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS): the condition, which affects about 10 percent of women, is characterized by abnormally high levels of testosterone – a result of too much testosterone is produced in the ovaries and through body fat.

This causes a range of symptoms, including irregular periods, weight gain, excessive hair growth and fertility problems.

Current treatment is oral contraceptives, but although this can regulate menstruation, testosterone levels can remain high.

Research has now shown that artemisinins, drugs derived from the sweet wormwood plant and used to treat malaria, can block the production of male hormones by disrupting a certain enzyme.

This is a dramatic discovery and the first studies of malaria drugs in women with PCOS are promising. Larger studies are underway.

These drugs have a long history of use in humans, so if these trials were successful they could be rolled out quickly. Artificial intelligence is busy finding more medicines that can be ‘repurposed’ in this way.

One strong argument in his favor!

• Write to Dr. Scurr from Good Health, Daily Mail, 9 Derry Street, London, W8 5HY or email drmartin@ dailymail.co.uk – include your contact details. Dr. Scurr cannot enter into personal correspondence. Always consult your own doctor if you have health problems