This Week's Presentation

Preventing bone loss in postmenopausal women with low bone mass is critical to limit progression to osteoporosis and to avoid fracture. We examined the role of exercise in maintaining bone health in post-menopausal women and compared the effect of exercise to risedronate, a medication for treating osteoporosis.   Exercise, consisting of resistance training and lower impact exercise, may primarily improve bone strength through structural changes rather than density changes in this population.

About the Speaker

Laura Bilek, PT, PhD is the Associate Dean for Research and Linder Professor for Women’s Health in the College of Allied Health Professions and Chair of the Medical Sciences Interdisciplinary graduate program.  She a licensed physical therapist and has been faculty at UNMC for 30 years researching the role of exercise in bone health across the lifespan. As co- PI, she recently completed an NIH funded clinical trial on bone health in postmenopausal women and collaborator on studies of bone health in pediatric cancer survivors and persons undergoing weight-loss surgery.