Delve into the critical importance of bone health for midlife women.

Delve into the critical importance of bone health for midlife women

In this episode, Dr. Andrew Bush, orthopedic surgeon and bone health expert joins Dr. Polly Watson to discuss how modern medicine must rethink the way we assess and protect bone health. Dr. Bush highlights the importance of moving beyond bone density alone and focusing instead on fracture risk, bone structure, and early screening to prevent osteoporosis before irreversible damage occurs.

“The only thing that truly builds healthy bone is muscle force applied through exercise,” says Dr. Andrew Bush.

The episode covers bone density testing, the limitations of DEXA scans, and how newer tools like fragility scores offer a more meaningful assessment of real-world fracture risk. Dr. Watson and Dr. Bush also explore the critical role of resistance training in building strong bones, the supportive—but not bone-building—role of hormones and supplements, and the risks and benefits of common osteoporosis medications.

Together, they shed light on why understanding absolute versus relative risk reduction is essential for making informed treatment decisions. This conversation empowers listeners to take a proactive, evidence-based approach to bone health, longevity, and quality of life—especially during midlife and menopause.

• “Strong bone breaks, weak bone doesn’t — what matters is structure, not density.” – Dr. Andrew Bush
•  “DEXA is just shooting an X-ray beam through bone, and whatever blocks that beam is labeled as density—but density is not the same thing as strength.” – Dr. Andrew Bush
• “If someone can’t recover from exercise, they won’t continue exercising—and that directly impacts bone health.” – Dr. Polly Watson
• “Bone loss starts in perimenopause, not a year after menopause.” –  Dr. Polly Watson

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She looks forward to sharing her knowledge with you to help find a solution to address the imbalance in your system and restore your health.

Dr. Andrew Bush is a Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon with nearly 30 years of clinical experience. He completed his orthopedic training at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey – New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey. For the past 17 years, Dr. Bush has provided comprehensive orthopedic surgical care in Sanford, North Carolina, practicing as an independent private physician.

In recent years, Dr. Bush has strategically shifted the focus of his practice from fracture fixation to fracture prevention, with a specialized emphasis on bone health. He is a member of the International Society of Clinical Densitometry and has received advanced training in DXA interpretation. What distinguishes his Bone Health practice, however, is his early and extensive adoption of REMS (Radiofrequency Echographic Multi Spectrometry) technology for bone densitometry and fracture risk assessment.

Currently, Dr. Bush’s practice is recognized as the largest clinical REMS practice in North America. His Bone Health program continues to grow due to its comprehensive, patient-centered approach, which emphasizes thorough bone health assessment, lifestyle modification, exercise, and optimal nutrition. Routine screening and ongoing monitoring are integral components of the program, all directed toward the primary goal of preventing fragility fractures and preserving long-term skeletal health.

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