Those whom oestrogen therapy would most likely benefit are women with a family history of osteoporosis. If it were possible to predict those women, said to be 25 per cent, in whom osteoporosis will become a serious problem, it would certainly be useful in these circumstances. Prediction of osteoporosis is not simple.
As an aid to prediction we hope to install a bone mineral analyser at Prince Henry’s Hospital. The forearm is placed in the machine, and an analysis is made which gives some idea of the calcium content of the forearm and to some degree reflects the general state of the bones. It will be a simple procedure for your doctor to refer you for this test so that your bones may be monitored against the fracture rate for your age group.
Many patients say to me ‘My symptoms are gone but what about my bones?’ Many more will in the future as this is becoming a well-documented problem that isn’t receiving the attention it deserves. In the United Kingdom last year it was calculated that the government spent £48m on orthopaedic beds for women with osteoporosis. Still higher figures exist in the United States.
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