Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a major health concern for women after menopause. Simply stated, as your body changes with age, your health risks also change. That's why it's so important that you make your health a top priority during this time of transition.
Boning Up on PMO
Estrogen plays an important role in maintaining bone density. The decline in estrogen
levels over time may lead to postmenopausal osteoporosis, thinning and weakening of the bones. The definition of osteoporosis is "porous bone."
A woman's bones are strongest around the age of 30. The body starts removing more old bone than forming new bone after this age. Women who don't receive estrogen can lose about 20% of their total body calcium during the first 10 years after menopause.
There are no symptoms of postmenopausal osteoporosis, which is why it's called a silent disease. In fact you may not be aware that your bones are weakening until you actually fracture a bone.
Some estrogen therapies, like Vivelle-Dot®, reduce the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis for as long as you continue treatment. Not all estrogen therapies are indicated for reducing the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis. If you use Vivelle-Dot only to prevent osteoporosis from menopause, talk with your healthcare professional about whether a treatment without estrogens might be a better choice for you.