Father’s Day 2021: Better bone health for the next generation

This Father’s Day, 63-year-old Vijay talks to us about his osteoporosis, looking after the family’s bone health, and his hopes for his children and future generations.

I was diagnosed with osteoporosis at quite a young age, around 40. My employer had arranged for a health visitor to come to my work. As a result of tests done on that day, I was invited to have a bone density scan at Guy’s Hospital, London, and that confirmed I had osteoporosis.

My consultant said the most likely explanation was that I didn’t build sufficient bone density in my skeleton during my growing years, possibly because my diet was calcium deficient and I did not consume dairy milk as it affected my skin. I was probably deficient in vitamin D too, as I had moved from India to the less sunny UK at the age of 12.

Managing my osteoporosis

I broke my leg when playing sport as a child, but thankfully I haven’t had any further fractures. The ongoing support from the team at Guy’s Hospital for my osteoporosis has been outstanding. Through the interventions of medication, nutrition and exercise, my bone density has remained quite stable. At the last scan a couple of years ago, my bone density had crept into the ostopenia range for a person of my age.

I feel lucky to have been diagnosed early, so I could manage my osteoporosis. I’ve seen first-hand the distress and disabling effect of broken bones caused by osteoporosis. My mother fractured her wrist twice, once owing to a fall on the steps when boarding an aircraft.

Above: Vijay

If I could pass on a message to my younger self, it would be to build your bone health while you can.

Now, I use the calcium calculator on the Royal Osteoporosis Society (ROS) website to help make sure I’m getting my daily intake. There are so many fortified alternatives for dairy milk now that I enjoy, and I eat fortified cereal bars and plenty of calcium-rich greens and cheese.

I take vitamin D supplements in the winter and in the summer, and I make sure I get sensible exposure to sunlight in the garden.

I also ensure that I stay active. Before COVID-19, I enjoyed using the equipment at the gym and attending yoga and Tai Chi classes.

Family and bone health

Although my mother has osteoporosis, I’ve been told my osteoporosis is unlikely to be due to genetic reasons. However, I do still have some concerns about my grown up daughter and son potentially developing it.

We were very aware of the children’s bone health as they were growing up and ensured they had balanced diets with enough calcium and vitamin D. We continue to talk to them about maintaining good bone health throughout their lives, with a good diet and exercise.

I worry particularly about my son because an irritable bowel disease flare up sometimes requires him to take steroids, which I understand can increase the risk of developing osteoporosis.

Caring for future generations

It’s a challenge encouraging young people to look after their bones when the benefits are not likely to be seen for some decades – it’s a bit like saving now for a pension that can’t be accessed until much later in life.

Prevention is clearly better than cure. So, my hope is that school children are educated about the importance of building bone health in their younger years.

I also hope that advances in science, technology, and the era of individualised medicine, will open some avenues for early risk assessment, prevention, and treatment of osteoporosis.