Osteoporosis
A diagnosis of osteoporosis evoked both negative and positive behavioral changes in female patients, said California researchers who surveyed 261 women. Those with subnormal bone density measurements on spine densitometry were significantly more likely to initiate estrogen replacement therapy, to stilt or increase intake of calcium and vitamin D, to stilt or increase exercise and to quit smoking, according to investigators from the University of California at San Francisco. However, these women were also more likely to become overly fearful of falling and to curtail their activities to such an extent avoiding unnecessary activities outside the home and increasing use of a cane or handrails, for example-that bone loss might be accelerated, the team reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine.