Health Expert PJ Hamel shares health management news and commentary at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/53591/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/53591/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/53591/index http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/114695/osteopenia Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:02:34 -0400 PJ Hamel So, you’ve been diagnosed with osteopenia. Your doctor recommends a bisphosphonate – say, Fosamax. But you’ve read some pretty awful things about it. From the rigid schedule for taking a bisphosphonate, to the heartburn, diarrhea, and nausea that may accompany it, to the awful possibility that it may dissolve your jaw… right about now, your inner self is probably screaming, “Don’t go there!”But... http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/114695/osteopenia http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/113664/osteoporosis Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:08:25 -0400 PJ Hamel The typical American with osteoporosis is over 65, often small-framed and, almost always, female.Considering that being a woman is the top risk factor for osteoporosis, followed by being post-menopausal, it’s no wonder that 80% of Americans diagnosed with osteoporosis are women.Still, that means 20% of osteoporosis diagnoses come in men. Men who’d rather go shoe-shopping at the mall for 6 hours than admit they have an “old... http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/113664/osteoporosis http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/112232/osteoporosis Sat, 22 May 2010 10:54:35 -0400 PJ Hamel If you’re reading these words, you’re probably interested in osteoporosis – either because you have it; you’re trying to prevent it; or you’re helping someone else deal with it. And if that’s the case, then you may already know that May is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month. But, despite the best efforts of the National Osteoporosis Foundation, including its month-long campaign and Webinar series,... http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/112232/osteoporosis http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/111179/ways-protect Sat, 08 May 2010 07:58:41 -0400 PJ Hamel I called my mom a few days ago. She lives 1,000 miles away, and we chat regularly. My dad passed away 5 years ago; she lives alone. And though she’s surrounded by a tight circle of friends, there’s no substitute for the enduring love of family.I told Mom I was writing an article on how to “kid proof” your home, only it wasn’t going to be kids I was writing about – it was the elderly. I wanted to offer tips on... http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/111179/ways-protect http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/110041/orthorexia Sat, 24 Apr 2010 06:34:19 -0400 PJ Hamel You’ve heard the expression “calories in, calories out,” right? Our bodies need a certain number of calories, provided by what we eat, to function normally. If you burn more calories than you take in, you lose weight. If you burn WAY more calories than you take in – by severely limiting the types and quantity of the foods you eat, and/or by exercising for hours every day – then you exhibit energy... http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/110041/orthorexia http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/108785/calcium-diet Thu, 08 Apr 2010 18:58:34 -0400 PJ Hamel Calcium. Check.Vitamin D. Check.Protein. Uh… protein?  How about magnesium? Vitamins B-12 and K? Potassium?We all know that calcium and vitamin D are critical to bone health. But as it turns out, there’s more to fighting osteoporosis than calcium, vitamin D, and drugs. Your body needs a host of other nutrients to ensure that your bones will carry you into a healthy, happy old age – literally. Since these “less... http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/108785/calcium-diet http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/107024/osteopenia Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:42:38 -0400 PJ Hamel I’m sitting in a hotel room in Chicago. I’ve spent the past 4 days traveling on business: a hectic go-go-go of planes, trains, heavy suitcases, and work, all of which has left me exhausted. I have 3 hours before I leave for my flight home. Looking out the window, I see a gorgeous Midwestern spring day: temperatures in the 50s, the sun sparkling on Lake Michigan and its backdrop of soaring skyscrapers. To a gal from small-town New... http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/107024/osteopenia http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/105654/osteoporosis Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:30:06 -0500 PJ Hamel You’re feeling fit, healthy, enjoying life. Sure, you’re not 20 years old anymore; maybe you can’t pedal uphill as fast, run as far, or dance all night. But for your age, you’re doing just fine. Scenario A: As part of your regular physical, the doctor suggests a DEXA scan . “Just precautionary,” he says. “Just a baseline. Everyone gets one at your age.” But then the results come back, and your... http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/105654/osteoporosis http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/104590/daughters Mon, 22 Feb 2010 21:05:41 -0500 PJ Hamel Osteoporosis. Admit it; for you, a young mom, osteoporosis conjures up mental pictures of bent-over old ladies, shuffling along with a cane or walker, right?  It’s true, most Americans see osteoporosis as an “old people’s disease,” like Alzheimer’s or hearing loss. It’s not something you have to worry about till you’re, like… old. Right?Absolutely wrong.While you’re unlikely to be... http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/104590/daughters http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/103247/osteoporosis Mon, 08 Feb 2010 22:10:59 -0500 PJ Hamel Does having osteoporosis depress you? Or does depression lead you into osteoporosis?That’s been a question researchers have been trying to answer for the past 15 years or more. Since the early 1990s, scientists have been studying links among depression, low bone mass, and fractures, particularly in women. Back in 1996, The New England Journal of Medicine reported that women with depression exhibit bone mass up to 15% lower than the general... http://www.healthcentral.com/osteoporosis/c/53591/103247/osteoporosis