Customer Reviews

The Myth of Osteoporosis

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If you are thinking about reading this book, you probably recently got a diagnosis of "osteopenia" or "osteoporosis" via a DEXA scan, and your doctor is urging you to take drugs to "heal" your "disease." If so, this well-written, well-researched and well-annotated book can be invaluable to you in making an informed decision about a medical choice that could affect your health--and your pocketbook--the rest of your life. Some of the most important insights this book offers in that direction are the following:

First, since there is no consistent, world-wide standard for determining what is "normal" bone density for either females or males, it is a crapshoot as to what standard any given maker of a DEXA machine will employ to measure your bones against--and therefore a crapshoot as to what diagnosis you might get, whether "normal" or "diseased." Second, there seems to be no consideration in the prevailing standard of care for creating and interpreting DEXA results of these crucial concepts about bone health: (a) Loss of bone density is a normal aspect of growing older and for the vast majority of people, it will never either cause or contribute to bone disease. (b) Virtually any adult over the age of 30 randomly selected to have a DEXA scan would find herself diagnosed as either imminently "diseased" (osteopenia) or currently "diseased" (osteoporosis). This is because few people over 30 have the bones of someone in their 20's, and certainly not the bones of elite athletes in their 20's--a comparison group too often held as the "norm" by DEXA machine manufacturers. (c) The definition of true osteoporosis is a disease of poor quality bones in which the internal, inter-linked trabecular structure of the bone has eroded to such an extent that the bones are subject to fracture from low-force impact. A case of true osteoporosis is sometimes extreme enough to reveal itself on a regular high-radiation x-ray, but, unfortunately, it will never show up via a low-radiation DEXA scan. This is because the DEXA is incapable of identifying anything other than raw bone mass AKA "bone mineral density" or BMD. It cannot inform the physician about the micro-architecture of bone, its crystal size and shape, the degree of brittleness, the state of the connectivity of the trabecular network, the vitality of the bone cells, the ability to repair micro-cracks, or the structure of the bone proteins--there is currently no medical test that can do that. (d) As the book emphasizes again and again: BMD is only one of multiple symptoms of the disease of osteoporosis--not the disease itself.

If the author's assertion about BMD is true, you might well wonder why the World Health Organization (WHO) in the not-so-distant past altered its official definition of osteoporosis to a low BMD score on a DEXA test. The author wondered, too, and her research uncovered that this change came about due to successful lobbying of WHO by Big Pharma. She also discovered that Big Pharma moved on from that strategic victory to an equally successful lobbying effort to get doctors in the prosperous West to consistently engage in two inter-connected, DEXA-related actions: (1) urge their patients at increasingly younger ages to get an initial "precautionary" DEXA exam, from which the vast majority of them will inevitably receive "abnormal" readings for the reasons cited above, (2) encourage these newly bone-disease-labeled patients to embark on a lifetime regimen of expensive "bone-building" drugs in order to become and stay "cured" of their "disease."

On reading all this, I could not resist doing the math (which the author did not go so far as to include in her fascinating book): As long-lived as people are these days in the prosperous West, the kind of money Big Pharma could potentially make over time off 30-50 years of drug usage per DEXA-scammed patient could run as much as $50-75,000--or even more, if one factors in inflation and the price gouging Big Pharma is notorious for. If one multiples that figure by potentially tens of millions of patients, the profits could amount to not just billions, but trillions of dollars over time. This is what is known in the world of multi-national-corporate wheeler-dealing as a proverbial "cash cow."

The conclusion is as inevitable as the rigged results of the DEXA machines: if you don't want to be milked by Big Pharma's osteoporosis machine, this book will help you in multiple ways. Chief among them are numerous tips on inexpensive, medically documented ways to protect your bones under your own steam and a list of the major predictive factors of fractures in the elderly (the only authentic reason for alarm at a true diagnosis of osteoporosis). This comprehensive list will show you that BMD is only one among many crucial risk factors for osteoporosis, and reassure you that all of them--including BMD--can be controlled without expensive drugs with serious side effects.

Update November 11, 2010: Lawsuits are coming in thick and fast for oral bisphosphonates such as Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva, Reclast and Atelvia and their generic alternatives because women on these drugs are experiencing "jawbone death," where the bone in the jaw is destroyed, as well as unusual and unexpected breaks in the thigh bone. The FDA is now forcing Big Pharma to post a warning on these drugs stating that "the optimal period for using the drugs is unknown." In addition, doctors are beginning to rethink urging women over 50 to stay on these dangerous drugs the rest of their lives.

The title of this book is misleading, because Ms. Sanson does not claim that osteoporosis itself is a myth. Her subject is the variety of myths surrounding the disease of osteoporosis. In Ms. Sanson's view, due to insufficient, inaccurate and contradictory information about osteoporosis, we are filled with fear of inevitable decline and encouraged to make bad choices with respect to prevention. This thorough and well-researched book is easy to read, concise, and convincing. Ms. Sanson cites top-notch scientific sources from around the world that lay to rest the common fallacy that low bone density per se is an accurate predictor of future fractures. She also tackles, with statistics, not theories, the myth that dairy intake prevents osteoporosis, and that the current pharmaceutical options on the market are all you need to prevent fractures and bone loss. But Ms. Sanson does not simply tear down the myths of osteoporosis; she also provides clear and easy-to-follow lifestyle actions that one can take to protect ones bones for the long term. I have recommended this book to every woman I know over the age of 40, and now I am recommending it to you, the Amazon reader.

Sanson's book is a wake up call to all of us who get low BMD scores and are encouraged by doctors to reach for drugs. This is a well-researched, clearly written book highlighting the questions and controversies surrounding the treatment of osteoporosis. She views the tactics of the pharma industry and medical profession as alarmist, and wonders how all of a sudden this "new disease" has become rampant based on technology that didn't exist a decade or two ago. Her own family has serious issues with low bone mass density, but has had success preventing fractures without drugs.

But--when you read the book, be aware of her bias! She relies heavily on the findings of a Dr. Susan Ott, who happens to have an easily accessible website. I looked at it (just type Susan Ott into your search engine) and what I found was the best resource I've ever seen on osteoporosis. Ott's work is much more balanced. There ARE links between low BMD and fractures--Sanson makes it sound like there aren't. Drugs do help, although the side effects are bad. Calcium helps too, but is not the "silver bullet" some say it is. Ott's website has a terrific "calculator" you can use to assess your personal risk of fracture--try it! She also includes an excellent tutorial on how to read those dexa reports. Analyze your report and figure it out before you see your doctor--for sure you'll be more informed about what it says than he or she will be--most docs glance at the total score and prescribe based on that alone.

I found Sanson's discussion of differences in BMD and osteoporosis among countries particularly interesting. Sanson draws the conclusion that animal protein may be a negative factor; interestingly Ott isn't so sure. She notes that in Asian cultures, for example, it is common to suck on chicken bones, even if otherwise the diet consists of fish and vegetables.

As usual, the picture is murky. Sanson argues that the ACTUAL risk of fracture is small, and Ott would agree, especially before the age of 70. And there's no question that there are NO studies beyond a 10 year term or so that track BMD, the efficacy of the drugs and the side effects. But after a lot of research, I've found that everyone agrees heredity, diet and other lifestyle changes are critically important (what else is new?). If you get a bad test result my advice is NOT "consult your doctor"--read up on it first. Sanson's book is a good resource--but not the only one.

If you have been diagnosed with osteoporosis and given a prescription for fosamax or actonel or any other type of medication, please read this book first.

Your instincts are right. You don't need it. It won't help, and most likely it will cause harm over time.

Menopausal women bring in millions of dollars to the pharmaceutical companies around the world. We are easy prey, because we are being told that aging is a disease and we believe it.

This book is worth every penny. You will be glad you read it.

This is a great book, I found it really interesting and well researched which is important for a book that is challenging what seem to be widely held beliefs (or "myths") about osteoporosis. I know of many women who have felt confused about osteoporosis and who have even taken medication (HRT etc) to prevent it, but in doing so seem to experience serious side-effects. Its a good feeling to read this book and to reaffirm that one can do so much oneself to stay healthy and to gain optimum bone strength and integrity (even while aging). I am a Physical Therapist and I would recommend this book to everyone, it provides information and practical knowledge on how to maintain bone health.

After reluctantly beginning a weekly regimen of Fosamax for osteopenia, I began to wonder. Do I really need this? What will be the long term side effects? How do medications like Fosamax really work? I turned to this book for the answers, and as a result made my own decisions about my bone health. The book is well written and sheds light on the many misconceptions and preconceptions about osteoporosis. It identifies who is really at risk and helps to exlain why bone density tests can't be considered conclusive. It goes on to explain how bone medications work in the body and why we need to be wary of them. And it points to the fact that osteopenia is a very natural occurrence, and does not always progress to osteoporosis. Every woman is different. And bone density drugs might be right for some, but not all. The factual information in this book, combined with my own common sense and body sense, led me to decide that the drug is not right for me. Women need more books and resources like this when doctors and drug companies are all too swift to tell us we need an Rx that not only might be unnecessary, but might also be harmful in the long run.

I really enjoyed this book. Excellent. Its good to see research being put out there for someone like myself to read so I can understand what I can do for my health and whether I should be worrying about my bones disintegrating if I dont drink gallons of milk each day. I am glad to find that I can relax and eat a healthy balanced diet. I always was suspicious of the drugs offered to help prevent osteoporosis because of the side-effects. Its kind of a relief to know that I can continue to eat well and keep fit and working out, and that this will be beneficial for my bones - help me stay in one piece. I am tired of the fear that is induced by faulty informtion about 'diseases' part of which is fictional and created by drug companies for their own financial purposes.
So I am grateful to a book that provides some clarity about the actual disease of 'osteoporosis' and also gives solid ideas of what to do to keep bones healthy.

An excellent source of information. This book, published in 2003, is exhaustively researched, she cites medical and research studies involving hundreds and thousands of subjects, she covers the newest technologies and medications. The only thing missing from her book (because it was published a few years ago) is the very latest information about the potential dangers of Fosamax and the class-action lawsuits about the death of bone in the jaw that has caused people to have their jaws removed. She provides excellent suggestions for improving bone health, including exercise, dietary changes, supplements, and other ways to beat osteoporosis. She doesn't say that osteoporosis is a myth, she just debunks some of the myths surrounding this condition.

Another book that I purchased at the same time was Preventing & Reversing Osteoporosis by Alan Gaby. Gaby's book was published in 1995 (so was written in about 1993-94) so its information is very out of date. Since that time technology has introduced the BMD bone density scan, and the pharmaceutical industry has developed and promoted the use of bisphosphonates such as Fosamax and Evista. These two developments alone have rendered Gaby's book totally out of date and therefore not useful, in my opinion. Also, the information is not evidence-based, most of his recommendations are based on anecdotal and observed results, rather than on scientific studies. What he has to say is interesting, sometimes even fascinating, but is it accurate? For example, his recommendations on caffeine are based on the result of an "experiment" of giving three cups of coffee to five women. I don't consider that evidence-based medical protocol.

I highly recommend The Myth of Osteoporosis over the Gaby book.

I recently had a DEXA bone
scan and was diagnosed with
osteoporosis (or low bone
density). My doctor was
very "dramatic" when she tried
to explain the big DANGER
that I was headed toward. She
said, "You'll break a hip and
end up in a nursing home and you
will die. That's your prognosis
if you don't do something about
this NOW." She hit her wrist
very forcefully and said, "You
cannot do this, because if you
do, your wrist will break and
it will not heal." Luckily, I
act from information and not
panic, and this sounded very
one-sided to me. She strongly
recommended that I take
injections every
day for one year to build
up bone mass. I am only 48
years old and am very healthy,
other than this
low bone density condition. (My
life style has been to eat well
and exercise since I was very
young. I have never smoked and
drank very little. I am
at my proper weight, which has
never fluctuated more than 10
pounds, and many
people think that I am ten years
younger.) This
book was God-sent! After reading
it, I got blood tested for Vitamin D deficiency.
I learned that I had no Vitamin D
in my system, which most Americans
are in the same boat! (I am rarely out in the sun
for long periods of time, other than
driving.) Therefore I was not
absorbing the calcium from my proper
nutrition. I got on
1,000 mg. of Vitamin D per day, in addition
to my usual multi-vitamin supplements, and
added a small portion of healthy fat
(butter on toast, or a small slice
of avocado with the tiny Vitamin D pill since it
is fat soluable; in other words your
body will not absorb Vitamin D unless
one eats a little fat along with it...My diet
does not include much fat, so I make sure to
eat a small portion of fat with the Vitamin D.) Within
hours I felt like someone had 'plugged
me into the wall!' I had so much energy,
and two weeks later I still feel unusually
healthier and with more energy than I ever
remember. I have to remind myself to go
to bed by my usual time, which is 10:30 or 11,
because I am so energized! Because of this
book and others that I have read to
research the BIG SCARE OF OSTEOPOROSIS
by the medical "experts" I was able
to zero in on my own particular body
without drugs that cause other dangerous
side effects, like bone cancer. The FDA
has approved this drug for bone building
with the highest level warning on the box.
The new bones are not strong,but fragile AND this
drug caused cancer in laboratory rats.

The MYTH about Osteoporosis helped me to
become familiar with many well-researched
facts regarding bone mass and the DEXA machines,
Bottom line is that NO machine can predict whether
or not one will fall and break
a hip due to bone density! The book is jam
packed with information. These
machines are all set by their various
manufacturers and the data that
they use to compare the individual
being scanned to other person's bone mass
does not make sense! EVERY WOMAN SHOULD
READ THIS INFORMATIVE BOOK!!!
TO PREVENT
BEING SCARED AND/OR BULLIED BY DOCTORS!

This is the most enlightening book on Osteoporosis and the misconceptions and myths about the disease, and even more so, about the myths of modern standard "treatments". Written by a woman who has Osteoporosis running in her family; when her teenage daughter was diagnosed with it, she was inspired to deeply research to uncover the truth about Osteoporosis, it's causes, it's dangers, the current reseach and medical understand, and the best approaches to treating the problems it creates.

It provides a nearly complete survey of all the current research and studies on Osteoporosis and challenges the logic behind the current treatments, and provide clear, brillant reasoning about the approaches and the success rates.

The number of references can be nearly overwelming, but they all add up to new conclusions and considerations, that anyone with Osteoporosis must consider.

The book, though written on a medical topic, reads very well, and presents the technical/medical concepts so clearly that I rarely had to reread a paragraph to grasp it's import. In all, I'm grateful for this new analysis and guidance for dealing with this condition. In all, this was the most eye-opening book on the subject that I've read, and I recommend it highly to anyone with an interest in the topic.