Health Watch is a Public Service of the Office of News and Publications and is intended to provide general information only and should not replace the advice of a medical professional. You should contact your physician if you have questions about any of these topics.
This week on Healthwatch, we're talking about health issues associated with aging. After menopause, women are at increased risk for bone loss. To prevent bone loss, women may take calcium supplements, but that could put them at increased risk for kidney stones.
Doctors at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas say taking the right kind of calcium supplements will prevent kidney stones. Studies show that calcium citrate supplements can prevent kidney stones. Adding a potassium citrate supplement offers even more protection.
Dr. Khashayar Sakhaee, a mineral metabolism expert at UT Southwestern, says women who are at risk for kidney stones or who are afraid of developing kidney stones should take these kinds of supplements to prevent bone loss.
Next on Healthwatch: some new research about Alzheimer's disease.
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September 2005
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