Consumer Osteoblast Autumn 2016

National Magazine of Osteoporosis Australia

LATEST NEWS ● PREVENTION AND TREATMENT ● HELPFUL TIPS

New Sun Exposure Guidelines NEW CAMPAIGN

Health Minister launches a new exercise campaign RESEARCH

Closing the gap in spinal fractures RECIPE CORNER

Winter warmer recipe Autumn 2016

Welcome Welcome to the latest edition of our online magazine Osteoblast. Please feel free to share this with your friends and family.

Our aim is to provide you with latest news and updates on OA activities.

In this issue there is an update on balancing Vitamin D and sun exposure.

Vitamin D is an important part of maintaining bone health but can be difficult to balance with lowering skin cancer risks. Luckily, these updates provide clearer guidelines.

Please remember, if you need information or advice, we have a toll free number for you to call – 1800 242 141. And you can always email us at admin@osteoporosis.org.au Greg Lyubomirsky, CEO Osteoporosis Australia

Greg Lyubomirsky CEO

Experts come together to clear up sun exposure Balancing your sun exposure to ensure you get adequate Vitamin D but don’t place yourself at risk of skin cancer has always been a delicate balance.

Osteoporosis Australia, in conjunction with a number of other organisations including the Cancer Council, published new guidelines to establish clearer recommendations about how much sun you should get and when you should get it.

According to the new report, if UV levels are below 3, then sun protection is not

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required, and time spent outdoors with exposed skin will support Vitamin D production. However, in high UV sun (generally throughout summer), slip slop slap should remain a priority to prevent skin cancer. In summer, a few minutes in the sun in mid-morning or mid-afternoon would be sufficient for adequate Vitamin D levels.

“In summer, a few minutes in the sun in mid-morning or midafternoon would be sufficient” The recommendations contain specific guidance for people considered at higher risk of vitamin D deficiency, including if you: are naturally very dark skinned; avoid sun exposure because of a high risk of skin cancer; are frail and/or elderly, chronically ill or institutionalised and live largely indoors; take particular medications; have conditions causing poor absorption of calcium and vitamin D; or cover up for religious or cultural reasons.

Professor Peter Ebeling, Medical Director of OA stated, “Those at risk of Vitamin D deficiency should talk to their doctor about vitamin D supplementation, to see if that might be more appropriate than sun exposure.”

Closing the back gap

Health Minister puts exercise in the spotlight

Health Minister Sussan Ley has launched an awareness campaign encouraging young women to get active and be involved in organised sport with #girslmakeyourmove. This campaign was launched off the back of some disturbing statistics that showed that 55.9% of girls aged 15-17 did little to no exercise.

Minister Ley said, “Physical activity in the teenage years lays down the muscle and bone you need for the rest of your life We know, for girls, exercise and physical activity is the number one way to prevent illnesses later in life, like osteoporosis, which affects almost one quarter of all Australian women aged over 50.” You can check out the campaign here.

It’s a sad fact that many fractures in older men and women are never investigated for osteoporosis. This can be made even more difficult if spinal (vertebral) fractures are attributed as another type of back pain. A new report out of the UK has identified that the pain described by those with vertebral fractures is generally different to the pain described by other back injury patients. This identification will hopefully lead to more patients being treated appropriately for their vertebral fracture and investigated for osteoporosis.

The patients as part of the study that had experienced vertebral fractures described the pain as momentary or transient compared with another back issue, and were more likely to report pain being relieved when lying down, and did not experience associated pain through their legs or neck. The results now mean that a questionnaire can be developed to give to patients to address the healthcare gap for people presenting with back pain. Hopefully with studies like this, there will be less instances of people with vertebral fractures failing to come to clinical attention.

If you’d like to read the study you can do so here.

Osteoporosis currently affects over 1 million Australians.

A bone is broken every 3 minutes.

Toll free helpline:

1800 242 141 AUTUMN 2016

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Find out where you can get a Bone Density Scan with our handy online directory

Donate while you shop online!

Do you shop online with ASOS, Forever New, Booking.com, or Angus and Robertson? These are just some of the brands that have come on board with Shopnate to provide funds to registered charities when people shop online through Shopnate! It’s so easy, all you need to do is click the banner below to go to the Shopnate page, start an account, instal the Shopnate app to your browser and whenever you’re shopping online, if you’re on a page that supports Shopnate, it will ask you if you want to donate to your charity of choice when you make your purchase.

There has never been a better excuse to shop online!

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AUTUMN 2016

Prevention Week 2016

OA Patron, Helen Dalley, attended the Prevention Week Breakfast held in Sydney on April 5, hosted by Prevention magazine.

With the NSW Health Minister in attendance (Pictured above with Helen Dalley and group publisher, Jackie Frank) , speakers at the function stressed the need for women to take time to care for their own health and not just others. A range of health issues were discussed including breast cancer and depression - both of which have medications that can affect your bone health - with magazine editor Jacqui Mooney adding, “We know without a shadow of a doubt that the risk of all these diseases can be drastically reduced – or even prevented – with just a few lifestyle tweaks.”

As winter approaches, we thought you might appreciate a warmer-upper recipe, chocked full of calcium goodness of course!

This one comes to us from our friends at The Dairy Kitchen, you can see their other recipes on their website.

Creamy Mushroom Soup with Feta Ingredients

- 2 tablespoons olive oil - 2 onions, thinly sliced - 500g mixed mushrooms, Swiss brown, cup or field, thinly sliced - 1 medium potato, peeled and chopped - 2 1/2 cups salt-reduced vegetable or chicken stock - 375ml can reduced fat evaporated milk - 100g reduced fat feta - fresh thyme leaves (optional) - freshly ground black pepper - 4 cheese topped rolls

Experts recommend that people over 50 years of age have 1300mg of calcium every day

Method 1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add onion and cook, stirring for 5 to 7 minutes or until softened. Add mushroom. Cook, stirring, for a further 5 to 7 minutes or until has softened.

2. Add potato, stock and evaporated milk. Bring to the boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are soft and liquid has reduced slightly. Blend soup in batches, until smooth.

3. Gently warm soup over medium heat and season with pepper. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until warmed through. Ladle into bowls or a thermos and serve topped with feta and thyme leaves. Serve with cheese rolls.

TIPS / HANDY HINTS Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes This soup is ideal for keeping in a thermos to enjoy after sport or activity.

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Are Your Bones in the Danger Zone?

Do any of these risk factors apply to YOU? If the answer is YES please talk to your doctor

RED ZONE: HIGH ALERT • Experienced a broken bone after a minor bump or fall • Family history of osteoporosis (hip fracture in a parent) • Height loss of 3cm or more • Medications that affect bone strength - Breast Cancer treated with Aromatase Inhibitors - Prostate Cancer treated with Androgen Deprivation Therapy - Corticosteroid use for longer than 3 months (tablets or high-dose puffers)

ORANGE ZONE: CAUTION • Early Menopause • Low testosterone levels in men • Coeliac Disease • Hyperthyroidism or Hyperparathyroidism • Chronic kidney or liver disease • Low vitamin D levels

Bone health is important at any age. For over 50s it’s a priority Avoid broken bones. Protect your bone health

www.osteoporosis.org.au 5

National toll-free number for patients 1800 242 141 AUTUMN 2016

Copyright © Osteoporosis Australia 2015

“Let me stress, after years of managing patients with poor bone health it’s best to uncover the issue early so we can work together to prevent broken bones…” “…There’s a lot we can do to support your bone health once we uncover a problem.”

Professor Peter Ebeling AO Medical Director Osteoporosis Australia

OA Out and About

Did you know that one of the most trusted health professionals in Australia are pharmacists? Many patients will often pop in to ask their pharmacist the questions about supplements, medications and side effects, so it’s important that your pharmacist is up to date on all the latest information.

The annual Pharmacy Guild Conference was held on the Gold Coast in March 2016, and Osteoporosis Australia attended in an educational capacity. The booth was well attended and information was disseminated about bone health including calcium and vitamin D.

The CEO of Osteoporosis Australia, Greg Lyubomirsky met the President of the Pharmacy Guild, George Tambassis during the conference (pictured below). It was a pleasure getting to meet so many pharmacists! Your local pharmacist can provide you with information about bone health, and discuss any concerns you may have about medications or supplements.

PET AMBASSADOR

Lucy loves to bury her bones! #LoveYourBones

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