In recognition of Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention month, Shore is hosting a free community breakfast to educate the public about osteoporosis prevention and awareness on Wednesday, May 9, from 10 am to noon. This event, which is part of Shore Physicians Group’s 2018 educational health series, “Be Well Connected,” will be held at Greate Bay Country Club, located at 901 Mays Landing Rd., Somers Point, NJ.
Guests will enjoy a continental breakfast while hearing from Shore Physicians Group and Shore Medical Center experts, with time allotted for questions between each topic.
The presentations include:
- Know Your Risk, presented by Dr. Linda Brecher, DO, FACOI, FACR, Rheumatologist, Shore Physicians Group
- Strengthening Your Bones Through Exercise, presented by Jennifer Pesce, PT, DPT, Director of Rehabilitation, Shore Medical Center
- How to Pack More Calcium into Your Diet, presented by Saba Zahid, RD, Patient Experience Manager, Food and Nutrition Services, Shore Medical Center
For more information or to RSVP, contact Katie Byrnes at 609.653.3500 ext 3435 or via email kbyrnes@shorephysiciansgroup.com
About Osteoporosis
May is Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention month. Osteoporosis is a common condition affecting over 10 million Americans. Most of those people have no symptoms of the disease until they have a fracture (broken bone). Osteoporosis causes deterioration of bone quality which does not cause pain or any other symptoms. The only symptom of osteoporosis is a broken bone. This can occur without trauma – including sneezing, tripping, or turning over in bed.
Osteoporosis risk factors include:
- Gender – Women are 4 times more likely to develop osteoporosis.
- Age – Women and men over the age of 50 have the greatest risk for developing osteoporosis. Bone density decreases with age as does the risk for falls, both contribute to fractures from osteoporosis.
- Ethnicity – Caucasian and Asian women are at the highest risk for developing osteoporosis. African American and Hispanic women can develop osteoporosis but seem to have less risk.
- Family History – This is one of the highest risk for osteoporosis and fracture. The risk is very high if a first degree relative has had a fracture over age 50 involving hip, wrist, or hip.
- Low Body Weight – weighing less than 127 pounds increases risk for osteoporosis and fracture.
- Smoking – Profound bone loss is associated with older women and men who smoke.
- Excessive Alcohol Consumption – More than 2 alcoholic drinks a day increases risk for osteoporosis. More than four alcoholic drinks a day can double fracture risk.
- Medications – certain common medications increase the risk for osteoporosis. This includes but is not limited to:
Steroids Proton Pump Inhibitors (Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid)
Certain anti seizure medications – Dilantin and phenobarbital
Arimidex, Aromasin, Femara – medications used to treat breast cancer
Cyclosporin, Tacrolimus – medications used in transplant. - Chronic Diseases – Inflammatory disease such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, COPD, Inflammatory bowel disease. Hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism. Chronic kidney and chronic liver disease.
- Lack of exercise – bone is stimulated by exercise – weight bearing and strength training (light weights). Lack of activity and sedentary lifestyle lead to further bone loss.
Shore Physicians Group’s 2018 educational health series, “Be Well Connected,” began in January, with an event focused on “Dementia, Management, and the Future.” The series will continue with an event in July about the effects of aging and dementia, and an event in November focused on diabetes.
About Shore Physicians Group
Shore Physicians Group is a multi-specialty medical group focused on providing the highest quality of care and making the complex healthcare system simple for patients By choosing Shore Physicians Group, patients are connected to the area’s most highly skilled, caring and passionate practitioners, who provide quality care and the best medical outcomes in the fields of family, internal, pulmonary and critical care medicine, endocrinology, urology, neurology, rheumatology and general, laparoscopic, neurological and reconstructive surgery. Shore Physicians Group, which has practice locations in Egg Harbor Township, Mays Landing, Margate, Marmora, Northfield, Ocean City and Somers Point, NJ, also operates Shore Urgent Care in Northfield. In addition, Shore Physicians Group operates disease-specific centers including the Osteoporosis Center and the Flora Baker Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders, sponsored by Shore Medical Center. For more information about Shore Physicians Group, visit ShorePhysiciansGroup.com.
