By
United Press International, WASHINGTON
It wasn't until after actress Debbie Reynolds agreed to become
a spokeswoman for the National Osteoporosis Foundation's education
and awareness campaign that she was diagnosed as having bone thinning
herself.
''It
was God's will,'' the 67-year-old Reynolds told UPI today in an
interview. ''It was a surprise to me. Everyone who has gone through
menopause is a candidate, and you just don't know.''
Interspersing
comedy with the reality of having what's called a silent disease
because there are no obvious symptoms, Reynolds told a NOF gathering
earlier today at the National Press Club that her mother, who
died several weeks ago, and grandmother had both suffered from
osteoporosis.
The
national campaign led by the NOF is called ''Stay strong, test
your bone strength'' and includes a coalition of 110 organizations.
About
the time her mother died, Reynolds agreed to become the NOF spokeswoman
and underwent a bone density test to become more familiar with
osteoporosis, a disease in which the bones lose calcium and become
brittle.
She
said she didn't think she had the disease because she continues
to perform, is in great health and exercises regularly.
Reynolds
said she will be an active spokesperson advocating osteoporosis
education and bone density testing for post-menopausal women.
She still is undergoing testing to see how serious her bone thinning
is. Although she joked about it, her experiences are very common.
''My
mother had many fractures. We just thought she was a klutz,''
she said. ''She just kept suffering falls. Now we know it was
her bones collapsing.''
Dr.
Robert Lindsay, a researcher and author on osteoporosis and NOF
president, said for some women, the bone thinning leads to bone
collapse, causing a fall; while for others, a fall can cause a
thinning bone to break.
''It
happens both ways. As bone density is reduced, the more likely
a fall will break a bone,'' Lindsay said.
Medicare
now pays for bone density testing for post-menopausal women and
has adopted the NOF guidelines for testing and treatment. Depending
on what part of the body is tested, the cost can range from $40
to $120.
There are several non-invasive X-ray or ultrasound tests that
can be done in doctor's offices to detect the condition.
Wanda
Jones, director of the office of Women's Health for the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, said osteoporosis affects 20 million
women over age 65, a number expected to double by 2030.
''Osteoporosis
comes high on our list of problems,'' Jones said, adding the NOF's
campaign was a ''tremendous vehicle'' for promoting awareness
and convincing women to seek out testing, which is painless.
Jones
also noted HHS supports ''Stand Up for Your Bones,'' a program
aimed at convincing girls ages 9-18 to keep drinking milk, a major
source of calcium.
''We
abandon our glasses of milk for soda pop,'' Jones said, noting
that many teenage girls think milk is fattening.
Lindsay said osteoporosis also affects men, who are about half
as likely as women to get it. It's estimated 5 million men in
America either have osteoporosis or are at risk for it.
Medicare
pays for testing but unless the senior citizen is in a Medicare
HMO, it will not pay for medications used to treat the disease.
While there are several bills making their way through Congress
to add a prescription benefit to traditional fee-for-service Medicare,
there is still a major question about how to fund the benefit,
which President Clinton supports.
''That
has to be the next legislation,'' Reynolds told UPI. ''Medications
are very expensive for the elderly.''
Lindsay
said some women in the early stages of osteoporosis may not need
expensive medication and can help themselves by taking 1,200 milligrams
of calcium each day through a supplement or by drinking milk and
eating vegetables. Exercise also is important.
For
Reynolds, osteoporosis, like the arthritis she already deals with,
will not slow her down. She still performs regularly and said
she will never retire. She joked about her marriages and bad luck
with men and did imitations of Katherine Hepburn. She also noted
a picture of Elizabeth Taylor on the Press Club wall and joked
about their relative ages.
''I
just wanted you to know she's really much older than I am,'' Reynolds
said. ''For those of you who don't know me, I am Princess Leia's
mother.''
She
joked that with the premiere of the new Star Wars movie this week
her daughter, Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia in the original
three movies, will see her ''residuals dry up.''
''She'll probably put me in the home,'' Reynolds said with a laugh.
Reynolds said her goal is to convince every doctor to tell women
patients about bone thinning and the need for appropriate testing.
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