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- Acupuncture
- Age-matched
- AIDS
- Alternative medicine
- Antiretroviral therapy (ART)
- Arthritis
- Athletic Energy Deficit (AED)
- Athletic Triad
- Atrial Fibrillation (a-fib)
Acupuncture is a family of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical points on the body by a variety of techniques. American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries. The acupuncture technique that has been most scientifically studied involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation.
Source: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
A comparison of the patient’s bone mineral density (BMD) to a reference population of subjects the same age and gender as the patient.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) A disease of the immune system due to infection with HIV. HIV destroys the CD4 T lymphocytes (CD4 cells) of the immune system, leaving the body vulnerable to life-threatening infections and cancers. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is the most advanced stage of HIV infection. To be diagnosed with AIDS, a person with HIV must have an AIDS-defining condition or have a CD4 count less than 200 cells/mm3 (regardless of whether the person has an AIDS-defining condition).
Source: HIV/AIDS Glossary
Alternative health approaches refer to the use of non-mainstream products or practices in place of conventional medicine. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health advises against using any product or practice that has not been proven safe and effective as a substitute for conventional medical treatment or as a reason to postpone seeing your health care provider about any health problem. In some instances, stopping—or not starting—conventional treatment can have serious consequences. Before making a decision not to use a proven conventional treatment, talk to your health care providers.
Source: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Actually, “arthritis” is not a single disease; it is an informal way of referring to joint pain or joint disease. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis and related conditions, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. People of all ages, sexes and races can and do have arthritis, and it is the leading cause of disability in America. More than 50 million adults and 300,000 children have some type of arthritis. It is most common among women and occurs more frequently as people get older.
Source: Arthritis Foundation
Athletic Energy Deficit (AED) is a gap in energy. AED results when sustained activity (energy output) is not balanced with a proportional increase in nutrition (energy input). AED often develops when there is pressure to change eating habits, particularly in some sports where a low body weight is encouraged.
The Female and Male Athlete Triad is a syndrome of three interrelated conditions that exist on a continuum of severity.
- Energy deficiency — low energy availability with or without disordered eating
- Reproductive suppression — menstrual disturbances and amenorrhea in women; altered hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in men
- Impaired bone health — bone loss, osteoporosis and bone stress injuries
Atrial fibrillation or flutter is a common type of abnormal heartbeat. The heart rhythm is fast and most often irregular.
When working well, the 4 chambers of the heart contract (squeeze) in an organized way.
Electrical signals direct your heart to pump the right amount of blood for your body’s needs.
In atrial fibrillation, the electrical impulse of the heart is not regular. Parts of the heart cannot contract in an organized pattern. As a result, the heart cannot pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.
These problems can affect both men and women. They become more common with increasing age.
Source: National Library of Medicine
- Bisphosphonates
- Body composition (Whole Body)
- Bone health plan
- Bone mineral content (BMC)
- Bone mineral density (BMD)
- Bone remodeling
- Bone turnover
- Breast feeding
Bisphosphonates are a group of medications that work by slowing down the cells that break down bone. They are the most commonly prescribed medication for people with osteoporosis and are often the first treatment option considered by your doctor.
The division of soft tissue (as opposed to bone tissue) into fat and lean tissue.
A comprehensive bone health plan includes bone-healthy nutrition, physical activity, safe exercise, good posture and body mechanics, fall prevention, and medication, if appropriate.
A measurement of bone mineral found in a specific area. BMC is measured in grams (g).
Bone mineral density (BMD) is defined as bone mineral content divided by the projected area of the scanned image.
BMD = BMC/area (g/cm2)
Source: Journal of Medical Physics (2007)
Bone Mineral Density (BMD) is measured in grams per centimeter squared (g/cm2). BMD is derived using BMC divided by area, where BMC is measured in grams (g) and area is measured in centimeters squared (cm2).
The cyclic process of bone breakdown (resorption) and formation that is responsible for growth, maintenance, and repair of bone tissue.
The metabolic, cyclic process of bone formation and resorption.
Infants who are breastfed only may develop vitamin D deficiency. Human breast milk does not supply the proper amount of vitamin D. This can be a particular problem for darker-skinned children in winter months. This is because there are lower levels of sunlight during these months.
Source: National Library of Medicine
- Calcium
- Carbohydrates
- Celiac disease
- Chronic disease
- Collagen
- Comorbidity
- Complementary medicine
- Cortical bone
- Crohn’s disease
Calcium is the most plentiful mineral found in the human body. The teeth and bones contain the most calcium. Nerve cells, body tissues, blood, and other body fluids contain the rest of the calcium.
Calcium is one of the most important minerals for the human body. It helps form and maintain healthy teeth and bones. A proper level of calcium in the body over a lifetime can help prevent osteoporosis.
Calcium helps your body with:
- Building strong bones and teeth
- Clotting blood
- Sending and receiving nerve signals
- Squeezing and relaxing muscles
- Releasing hormones and other chemicals
- Keeping a normal heartbeat
Source: National Library of Medicine
Carbohydrates are one of the macronutrients. The primary role of carbohydrates (starches and sugars) is to provide energy to cells in the body, particularly the brain, which is the only carbohydrate-dependant organ in the body.
Source: National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes….
An autoimmune disorder in which eating gluten (a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and possibly oats) causes the immune system to damage the small intestine, making it unable to absorb nutrients. It is a genetic disease that sometimes becomes active for the first time after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection, or extreme stress. Also called sprue.
Source: Dictionary of Dietary Supplement Terms
A condition that is continuous or recurrent, is not easily cured, and cannot be passed from person to person. Examples of chronic diseases include heart disease, diabetes, and asthma.
A strong, flexible protein found in cartilage, tendons, bone, skin, and other connective tissue.
The simultaneous presence of two chronic diseases or conditions in a patient.
The terms complementary and integrative refer to the use of non-mainstream approaches together with conventional medical approaches.
Source: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Dense, hard bone with microscopic spaces typically found in the long bones (i.e. femur, tibia) and in the outer region of the vertebrae. Eighty percent of the skeleton is made up of cortical bone.
A long-lasting (chronic) disease that causes severe irritation in the gastrointestinal tract. It usually affects the lower small intestine (called the ileum) or the colon, but it can affect any part of the digestive tract from the mouth to the anus. It is painful, causing severe watery or bloody diarrhea, and may lead to life-threatening complications. Crohn’s disease is a form of inflammatory bowel disease.
- Diabetes
- Diabetes—Tyoe 1
- Diabetes—Type 2
- Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA)
A disease in which blood sugar (glucose) levels are high because the body is unable to use glucose properly. Diabetes occurs when the body does not make enough insulin, which helps the cells use glucose, or when the body no longer responds to insulin.
Source: Dictionary of Dietary Supplement Terms
Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there is a high level of sugar (glucose) in the blood.
It can occur at any age, but is most often diagnosed in children, adolescents, or young adults.
Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas by special cells, called beta cells. It is needed to move blood sugar (glucose) into cells. Inside the cells, glucose is stored and later used for energy. With type 1 diabetes, beta cells produce little or no insulin.
Without enough insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream instead of going into the cells. This buildup of glucose in the blood is called hyperglycemia. The body is unable to use the glucose for energy. This leads to the symptoms of type 1 diabetes.
The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is unknown. Most likely, it is an autoimmune disorder. This is a condition that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys healthy body tissue.
Source: National Library of Medicine
Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there is a high level of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes.
When you have type 2 diabetes, your fat, liver, and muscle cells do not respond correctly to insulin. This is called insulin resistance. As a result, blood sugar does not get into these cells to be stored for energy.
When sugar cannot enter cells, a high level of sugar builds up in the blood. This is called hyperglycemia. The body is unable to use the glucose for energy. This leads to the symptoms of type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes usually develops slowly over time. Most people with the disease are overweight or obese when they are diagnosed. Increased fat makes it harder for your body to use insulin the correct way.
It can also develop in people who are not overweight or obese. This is more common in older adults.
Family history and genes play a role in type 2 diabetes. Low activity level, poor diet, and excess body weight around the waist increase your chance of getting the disease.
Source: National Library of Medicine
A quantitative imaging technique that uses a radiation source to measure bone mineral density.
- Fats, dietary
- Femoral neck (femur neck)
- Femur
- Femur scan
Dietary fat is one of the macronutrients. Fat is a major source of fuel energy for the body and aids in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and carotenoids.
Source: National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes….
At the top of your femur (which is your thigh bone) is the femoral head. This is the “ball” that sits in the socket. Just below the femoral head is the femoral neck.
The femur is the only bone located within the human thigh. It is both the longest and the strongest bone in the human body, extending from the hip to the knee.
A scan that measures three regions of interest: the femoral neck, Ward’s triangle, and the greater trochanter. This can be confusing because the “femoral neck” is sometimes thought to be in the neck, rather than the hip.
- GERD
- Graves disease
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This is a condition where food or liquid moves up from the stomach into the esophagus (the tube from the mouth to the stomach).
Source: National Library of Medicine
Graves disease is an autoimmune disorder that leads to an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism). An autoimmune disorder is a condition that occurs when the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue.
Source: National Library of Medicine
- H2 blockers
- Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (chronic thyroiditis)
- HIV
- Hypercalcemia
H2 blockers are medicines that work by reducing the amount of stomach acid secreted by glands in the lining of your stomach.
H2 blockers are used to:
- Relieve symptoms of acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). This is a condition where food or liquid moves up from the stomach into the esophagus (the tube from the mouth to the stomach).
- Treat a peptic or stomach ulcer.
There are different names and brands of H2 blockers. Side effects may vary from drug to drug.
- Cimetidine (Tagamet)
- Famotidine (Pepcid)
- Nizatidine (Axid)
Note: (11/12/19) The FDA has asked manufacturers to voluntarily recall ranitidine (including Zantac) because these medicines may contain low levels of a a probable human carcinogen.
Source: National Library of Medicine
Hashimoto disease—chronic thyroiditis—is caused by a reaction of the immune system against the thyroid gland. It often results in reduced thyroid function (hypothyroidism).
Source: National Library of Medicine
HIV-1 : One of the two types of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV infection. HIV-1 is transmitted through direct contact with HIV-infected body fluids, such as blood, semen, and vaginal fluids, or from a mother who has HIV-1 to her child during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding (through breast milk). HIV-1 is responsible for the majority of HIV infections worldwide. In the United States, unless otherwise noted, the term “HIV” primarily refers to HIV-1.
HIV-2 : One of the two types of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. AIDS is the most advanced stage of HIV infection. HIV-2 infection is endemic to West Africa. Like HIV-1, HIV-2 is transmitted through direct contact with HIV-infected body fluids, such as blood, semen, and vaginal fluids, or from a mother who has HIV-2 to her child during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding (through breast milk). HIV-2 infection generally takes longer to progress to symptomatic HIV/AIDS than HIV-1.
Source: HIV/AIDS Glossary
Hypercalcemia is a condition in which the calcium level in your blood is above normal. Too much calcium in your blood can weaken your bones, create kidney stones, and interfere with how your heart and brain work.
Source: Mayo Clinic
- Insulin resistance
- Integrative medicine
- Ipriflavone
A condition in which glucose (blood sugar) cannot be absorbed by the cells and used for energy. Instead, glucose builds up in the blood and the body produces more and more insulin (which normally would help glucose get into the cells), resulting in abnormally high blood levels of both glucose and insulin. This can lead to pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and other serious health problems.
The terms complementary and integrative refer to the use of non-mainstream approaches together with conventional medical approaches.
Source: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
A synthetic isoflavone with anabolic compounds created to enhance bone density and muscle strength. In the research studies conducted to date the results were no better than the subjects taking calcium and vitamin D consistently.
- Kidney stone
- Kyphoplasty
- Kyphosis
A kidney stone is a hard object that is made from chemicals in the urine. The stone-forming chemicals are calcium, oxalate, urate, cystine, xanthine, and phosphate. Possible causes include drinking too little water, exercise (too much or too little), obesity, weight loss surgery, or eating food with too much salt or sugar (fructose). Infections and family history might be important in some people.
Source: National Kidney Foundation
Kyphoplasty is used to treat painful compression fractures in the spine. In a compression fracture, all or part of a spine bone collapses.
The procedure is also called balloon kyphoplasty.
It is done in a hospital or outpatient clinic.
Source: National Library of Medicine
Kyphosis is a curving of the spine that causes a bowing or rounding of the back. This leads to a hunchback or slouching posture.
Kyphosis can occur at any age, although it is rare at birth.
In adults, kyphosis can be caused by:
- Degenerative diseases of the spine (such as arthritis or disk degeneration)
- Fractures caused by osteoporosis (osteoporotic compression fractures)
- Injury (trauma)
- Slipping of one vertebra forward on another (spondylolisthesis)
Other causes of kyphosis include:
- Certain hormone (endocrine) diseases
- Connective tissue disorders
- Infection (such as tuberculosis)
- Muscular dystrophy (group of inherited disorders that cause muscle weakness and loss of muscle tissue)
- Neurofibromatosis (disorder in which nerve tissue tumors form)
- Paget disease (disorder that involves abnormal bone destruction and regrowth)
- Polio
- Scoliosis (curving of the spine often looks like a C or S)
- Spina bifida (birth defect in which the backbone and spinal canal don’t close before birth)
- Tumors
Source: National Library of Medicine
- Least Significant Change (LSC)
- LHRH agonists — LHRH antagonists
- Life style factors
The amount of change in bone density needed to be statistically confident that a real change has occurred.
LHRH agonists—Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) agonists (also called LHRH analogs or GnRH agonists)—are drugs that lower the amount of testosterone made by the testicles. Treatment with these drugs is sometimes called medical castration because they lower androgen levels just as well as orchiectomy.
LHRH antagonists—LHRH antagonists can be used to treat advanced prostate cancer. These drugs work in a slightly different way from the LHRH agonists, but they lower testosterone levels more quickly and don’t cause tumor flare like the LHRH agonists do. Treatment with these drugs can also be considered a form of medical castration.
Source: American Cancer Society
Changeable behaviors that patients can influence to improve bone health, reduce bone loss and prevent osteoporosis. These include adequate calcium and vitamin D consumption daily, not smoking, moderate alcohol, and weight-bearing physical activity.
- Macronutrients
- Magnesium
- Major osteoporotic fracture (MOF)
- Malabsorption
- Menopause
- Multi-modal approach
Macronutrients constitute the bulk of the diet and supply energy and many essential nutrients. Carbohydrates, proteins (including essential amino acids), fats (including essential fatty acids), macrominerals, and water are macronutrients. (Source: Merck Manual)
Each of the macronutrients, carbohydrate, protein and fat, has a unique set of properties that influence health, but all are a source of energy. (Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4960974/)
Magnesium is an essential mineral for human nutrition.
Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps to maintain normal nerve and muscle function, supports a healthy immune system, keeps the heart beat steady, and helps bones remain strong. It also helps regulate blood glucose levels and aid in the production of energy and protein.
There is ongoing research into the role of magnesium in preventing and managing disorders such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. However, taking magnesium supplements is not currently recommended.
Diets high in protein, calcium, or vitamin D will increase the need for magnesium.
Source: National Library of Medicine
A major osteoporotic fracture (MOF) was defined as a fracture of the hip, spine (clinical), wrist, or humerus. Clinical vertebral fractures were defined as those that came to medical attention and were reported to the clinical centers by the participants.
Malabsorption involves problems with the body’s ability to take in nutrients from food.
Many diseases can cause malabsorption. Most often, malabsorption involves problems absorbing certain sugars, fats, proteins, or vitamins. It can also involve an overall problem with absorbing food.
Problems or damage to the small intestine that may lead to problems absorbing important nutrients. These include:
- Celiac disease
- Crohn disease
- Surgery that removes all or part of the small intestine
Enzymes produced by the pancreas help absorb fats and other nutrients. A decrease of these enzymes makes it harder to absorb fats and certain nutrients.
Some of the other causes of malabsorption include:
- Certain medicines (tetracycline, some antacids, some medicines used to treat obesity, colchicine, acarbose, phenytoin, cholestyramine)
- Gastrectomy and surgical treatments for obesity
- Chronic liver disease
- Cow’s milk protein intolerance
- Soy milk protein intolerance
Source: National Library of Medicine
Menopause is the time in a woman’s life when her periods (menstruation) stop. Most often, it is a natural, normal body change that most often occurs between ages 45 to 55. After menopause, a woman can no longer become pregnant.
During menopause, a woman’s ovaries stop releasing eggs. The body produces less of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Lower levels of these hormones cause menopause symptoms.
Periods occur less often and eventually stop. Sometimes this happens suddenly. But most of the time, periods slowly stop over time.
Menopause is complete when you have not had a period for 1 year. This is called postmenopause. Surgical menopause takes place when surgical treatments cause a drop in estrogen. This can happen if both of your ovaries are removed.
Menopause can also sometimes be caused by drugs used for chemotherapy or hormone therapy (HT) for breast cancer.
Source: National Library of Medicine
American Bone Health’s multi-modal approach to fracture prevention includes:
- eat welling (adequate calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, and protein);
- being physically active (weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercise);
- reducing your lifestyle risk factors (sedentary behavior, smoking, alcohol consumption);
- not falling (falls lead to fractures);
- taking an osteoporosis medication if it is needed because you are at high risk of a fracture
- Normal bone density
- NSF International
Bone density that falls is the “T” score range -1 and higher.
A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, is a leader in standards development, product certification, education, and risk management for public health and safety. NSF’s American National Standards for dietary supplements includes Good Manufacturing Practices requirements to ensure consistency with FDA regulations. They are used to evaluate and analyze dietary supplements to ensure they do not contain undeclared ingredients or unacceptable levels of contaminants such as pesticides and heavy metals.
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoblasts
- Osteoclasts
- Osteomalacia
- Osteonecrosis
- Osteopenia
- Osteoporosis
- Oxidative stress
Sometimes called degenerative joint disease or degenerative arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic condition of the joints, affecting approximately 27 million Americans. OA can affect any joint, but it occurs most often in knees, hips, lower back and neck, small joints of the fingers and the bases of the thumb and big toe.
Source: Arthritis Foundation
A cell from which bone develops, a bone-forming cell
A large multinuclear cell associated with absorption and removal of bone: responsible for bone resorption
A condition in adults in which bones become soft and deformed because they don’t have enough calcium and phosphorus. Osteomalacia is usually caused by not having enough vitamin D in the diet, not getting enough sunlight, or a problem with the way the body uses vitamin D. Symptoms include bone pain and muscle weakness. When the condition occurs in children, it is called rickets.
Osteonecrosis is broadly defined as necrosis of bone due to obstruction of blood supply. Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) is an oral lesion involving exposed mandibular or maxillary bone, which usually manifests with pain and purulent discharge, although it may be asymptomatic; ONJ typically occurs following tooth extractions or other dentoalveolar surgeries, but in some cases, it can occur spontaneously.
Source: American Dental Association
A condition where bone mineral density is lower than normal however not yet as low as osteoporosis and falls in the “T score range of -1.1 to -2.4
Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease characterized by low bone mass and micro architectural deterioration of bone tissues, with a consequent increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture.
Oxidative stress, defined as a disturbance in the balance between the production of reactive oxygen species (free radicals) and antioxidant defenses.
- Paget disease
- PARS stress fracture
- Peak Bone Mass
- Phosphorus
- PLWHA
- Premature ovarian insufficiency
- Protein
- Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs)
Paget disease is a disorder that involves abnormal bone destruction and regrowth. This results in deformity of the affected bones.
The cause of Paget disease is unknown. It may be due to genetic factors, but also could be due to a viral infection early in life.
In people with Paget disease, there is an abnormal breakdown of bone tissue in specific areas. This is followed by abnormal bone formation. The new area of bone is larger, but weaker. The new bone is also filled with new blood vessels.
The affected bone may only be in one or two areas of the skeleton, or in many different bones in the body. It more often involves bones of the arms, collarbones, legs, pelvis, spine, and skull.
Source: National Library of Medicine
The PARS stress fracture (spondylolysis) usually occurs in the lower back (lumbar spine) and results from repetitive hyperextension (bending backwards) and rotation activities. This fracture is often considered an “overuse injury.”
The point at which your bone building and removal are equal and you have reached your maximum bone density and strength.
Phosphorus is a mineral that makes up 1% of a person’s total body weight. It is the second most abundant mineral in the body. It is present in every cell of the body. Most of the phosphorus in the body is found in the bones and teeth.
The main function of phosphorus is in the formation of bones and teeth.
It plays an important role in how the body uses carbohydrates and fats. It is also needed for the body to make protein for the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells and tissues. Phosphorus also helps the body make ATP, a molecule the body uses to store energy.
Phosphorus works with the B vitamins. It also helps with the following: kidney function; muscle contractions; normal heartbeat; nerve signaling.
Source: National Library of Medicine
People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA)—Infants, children, adolescents, and adults who have HIV/AIDS.
Source: HIV/AIDS Glossary
Premature ovarian insufficiency occurs when the ovaries stop functioning normally before age 40. When this happens, your ovaries don’t produce normal amounts of the hormone estrogen or release eggs regularly. This condition often leads to infertility.
It is sometimes confused with premature menopause, but these conditions aren’t the same. Women with primary ovarian insufficiency can have irregular or occasional periods for years and might even get pregnant. But women with premature menopause stop having periods and can’t become pregnant.
AKA: primary ovarian insufficiency, premature ovarian failure
Source: Mayo Clinic
A molecule made up of amino acids that the body needs for good health. Proteins are the basis of body structures such as skin and muscle, and substances such as enzymes and antibodies.
Source: Dictionary of Dietary Supplement Terms
Protein is one of the macronutrients. Protein is the major structural component of all cells in the body. Proteins also function as enzymes, in membranes, as transport carriers, and as hormones; and their component amino acids serve as precursors for nucleic acids, hormones, vitamins, and other important molecules.
Source: National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes….
Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) are a group of drugs whose main action is a pronounced and long-lasting reduction of stomach acidproduction.
This group of drugs followed and largely superseded another group of medications with similar effects, but a different mode of action, called H2-receptor antagonists.
PPIs include:
- dexlansoprazole (Dexilant, Kapidex)
- esomeprazole (Nexium®)
- lansoprazole (Prevacid®)
- omeprazole (Prilosec®, Zegerid)
- pantoprazole (Protonix)
- rabeprazole (Aciphex®)
- Qigong
Qigong is an ancient Chinese discipline combining the use of gentle physical movements, mental focus, and deep breathing directed toward specific parts of the body. Performed in repetitions, the exercises are normally performed two times or more a week for 30 minutes at a time.
Source: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- RANKL Inhibitor
- Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
- Resorption (bone resorption)
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
- Rickets
A RANKL Inhibitor slows down the natural rate your bones are broken down. It works by blocking a protein and suppressing the cells that break down bone.
Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA): The average amount of a nutrient a healthy person should get each day. RDAs vary by age, gender and whether a woman is pregnant or breastfeeding. RDAs are developed by the Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.
Bone resorption is the process by which osteoclasts break down the tissue in bones and release the minerals, resulting in a transfer of calcium from bone tissue to the blood.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system – which normally protects its health by attacking foreign substances like bacteria and viruses – mistakenly attacks the joints. This creates inflammation that causes the tissue that lines the inside of joints (the synovium) to thicken, resulting in swelling and pain in and around the joints. The synovium makes a fluid that lubricates joints and helps them move smoothly.
Source: Arthritis Foundation
Rickets is a disorder caused by a lack of vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate. It leads to softening and weakening of the bones.
Vitamin D helps the body control calcium and phosphate levels. If the blood levels of these minerals become too low, the body may produce hormones that cause calcium and phosphate to be released from the bones. This leads to weak and soft bones.
You may not get enough vitamin D from your diet if you:
- Are lactose intolerant (have trouble digesting milk products)
- DO NOT drink milk products
- Follow a vegetarian diet
Disorders that reduce the digestion or absorption of fats will make it more difficult for vitamin D to be absorbed into the body.
Source: National Library of Medicine
- Sclerostin Monoclonal antibodies
- SERM
- Spine scan
- Spondylolysis
- Statins
- Stress fracture
- Strontium
Sclerostin Monoclonal antibodies are designed to work by inhibiting the activity of sclerostin, which simultaneously results in increased bone formation and to a lesser extent decreased bone break down.
Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators mimic the effect the hormone estrogen has on your bone. It helps to keep your bones strong.
A scan that includes the vertebrae of the lumbar spine in its region of interest. We use lumbar 1-4.
Spondylolysis is a stress fracture through the pars interarticularis of the lumbar vertebrae. The pars interarticularis is a thin bone segment joining two vertebrae. It is the most likely area to be affected by repetitive stress.
Spondylolysis, pars defect, and stress fracture are used interchangeably, all referring to the same condition.
Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine
Statin drugs lower LDL cholesterol by slowing down the liver’s production of cholesterol. They also increase the liver’s ability to remove LDL cholesterol that is already in the blood.
A stress fracture is a small crack in a bone, or severe bruising within a bone. Most stress fractures are caused by overuse and repetitive activity, and are common in runners and athletes who participate in running sports, such as soccer and basketball.
Bone is in a constant state of turnover—a process called remodeling. New bone develops and replaces older bone. If an athlete’s activity is too great, the breakdown of older bone occurs rapidly — it outpaces the body’s ability to repair and replace it. As a result, the bone weakens and becomes vulnerable to stress fractures.
An element that heavier than calcium and frequently found in supplements citing increased bone density. The bone density appears falsely increased because the strontium enters the bone and replaces the lighter weight calcium. There is concern that excess strontium in the bones may make them brittle. Strontium is not approved by the FDA.
- T-score
- Tai chi
- Tamoxifen
- Thyroid-stimulating Hormone (TSH)
- Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)
- Trabecular bone
- Tramadol
- TSH test
The difference between the patient’s BMD and the mean young adult value of the reference population divided by the reference standard deviation (SD). A T-score of –2.0 means the patient is 2 SDs below the reference population.
T-score is reported only on post-menopausal women and men over age 50.
A mind-body practice that originated in China as a martial art. Individuals doing tai chi move their bodies slowly and gently, while breathing deeply and meditating (tai chi is sometimes called moving meditation). Many practitioners believe that tai chi helps the flow throughout the body of a proposed vital energy called “qi.” Individuals practicing tai chi move their bodies in a slow, relaxed, and graceful series of movements. One can practice alone or in a group. The movements make up what are called forms (or routines).
Source: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
Tamoxifen is the oldest and most-prescribed selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM). Tamoxifen is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat:
- women and men diagnosed with hormone-receptor-positive, early-stage breast cancer after surgery (or possibly chemotherapy and radiation) to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back (recurring)
- women and men diagnosed with advanced-stage or metastatic hormone-receptor-positive disease
Tamoxifen also is used to:
- reduce breast cancer risk in women who haven’t been diagnosed but are at higher-than-average risk for the disease
Tamoxifen won’t work on hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer.
Source: BreastCancer.org
Thyroid-stimulating Hormone (TSH) is produced by the pituitary gland. It prompts the thyroid gland to make and release thyroid hormones into the blood.
Source: National Library of Medicine
Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL): The largest daily intake of a nutrient considered safe for most people. Taking more than the UL is not recommended and may be harmful. The UL for each nutrient is set by the Food and Nutrition Board at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Porous bone composed of an intricate, latticed network of fibrous, calcified mineral. It is typically found at points of compression, such as lumbar vertebrae, femoral head, etc.
Tramadol, a commonly used weak opioid for the treatment of pain,10–14 has been considered an analgesic alternative, since its perceived risk of serious cardiovascular and gastrointestinal adverse effects was lower than that of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and its risk of addiction and respiratory depression was lower than that of traditional opioids.
A TSH test measures the amount of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in your blood. TSH is produced by the pituitary gland. It prompts the thyroid gland to make and release thyroid hormones into the blood.
Source: National Library of Medicine
- USP (United Status Pharmacopeia)
United States Pharmacopeia (USP) is a voluntary, science-based, nonprofit, standards-setting organization. It is an official public standards-setting authority for all prescription and over-the-counter medicines and other health care products manufactured or sold in the United States. USP also sets widely recognized standards for food ingredients and dietary supplements. Its publications, the USP and the National Formulary (NF), are recognized in the US Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act as official compendia for the United States.
- Vegan
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin K
A person who eats only plant-based foods. Vegans do not eat meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, dairy products, or honey, and do not use leather, silk, or wool, or soaps and cosmetics that are made from animal products.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is stored in the liver.
Two types of vitamin A are found in the diet: Preformed vitamin A, found in animal products such as meat, fish, poultry, and dairy foods; and Provitamin A found in plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables. The most common type of pro-vitamin A is beta-carotene.
Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, mucus membranes, and skin. It is also known as retinol because it produces the pigments in the retina of the eye.
Source: National Library of Medicine
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. Fat-soluble vitamins are stored in the body’s fatty tissue.
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Calcium and phosphate are two minerals that you must have for normal bone formation.
In childhood, your body uses these minerals to produce bones. If you do not get enough calcium, or if your body does not absorb enough calcium from your diet, bone production and bone tissues may suffer.
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis in adults or rickets in children.
Source: National Library of Medicine
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin.
Vitamin K is known as the clotting vitamin, because without it blood would not clot. Some studies suggest that it helps maintain strong bones in the older adults.
Source: National Library of Medicine
- Ward's triangle
A region of interest in a proximal femur scan located at the lower end of the femoral neck. It is predominately trabecular bone and contains the least amount of bone mineral within the neck region. Ward’s triangle is not a true anatomical site.
- Z-score
The difference between the patient’s BMD and the mean age-matched value of the reference population, divided by the reference standard deviation (SD). A Z-score of –2 means the patient is 2 SDs below the reference population (age and gender matched).