You’ve had a bone scan, been handed a result and perhaps a prescription, and you’re walking out of the appointment with your head spinning. If that’s you, or someone you love, this conversation is for you.
I’m joined by Tom Forfa, a former practicing medical doctor who was diagnosed with osteoporosis in his late 30s, after years of fractures that each seemed to have a reasonable explanation. Tom went from explaining diagnoses to receiving one, and he turned that experience into research, and then into Lenari Health, a business that helps people understand their results and advocate for themselves.
We talk about:
Why so many women find out about low bone density through perimenopause and menopause, and what oestrogen has to do with it
Why bones respond to heavy loads and fast impact (think lifting, hopping and skipping) far more than to walking, swimming or cycling
Tom’s “triangle” for bone health: addressing underlying medical factors, triggering bone growth through exercise, and supplying the building blocks your bones need
The two fears Tom hears most often: breaking a bone, and taking the treatment
Why around half of people stop their osteoporosis medication within a year, based on Tom’s survey of more than 400 patients
Risk factors for men, who are less likely to be screened
The three things Tom suggests if you’ve just been diagnosed
It’s a conversation about slowing down, understanding what’s happening in your body, and choosing your next step with good information. This conversation is educational only and isn’t a substitute for advice from your own doctor.
If you would like to find out a little more information please click on the links below.