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 Health Watch, we’re talking about keeping your New Year’s resolutions. This is the tough time when it’s easy to give up and slack off, but if you keep trying, you may create some healthy new habits. This is also a good time to make a new resolution if you haven’t yet, and there’s an important one that men may not have considered.
We usually think of osteoporosis, or a weakening of the bones, as a problem that affects women, but while it does strike more women, it’s more likely to go undiagnosed in men. Dr. Khashayar Sakhaee, a mineral metabolism expert at UT Southwestern Medical Center, says men can help avoid osteoporosis through lifestyle changes: don’t smoke, drink alcohol only in moderation and get regular exercise. Men also need an adequate intake of calcium and vitamin D. Men up to age 50 need at least 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day, and men over 50 need 1,200 milligrams a day.
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January 2007
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