What is it?
Progressive bone loss with an increased
risk of fractures over a period of time is a disease known
as Osteoporosis. Literally it means "porous bone." It
develops over the course of one's life often unnoticed, until
on fractures a bone. The reason it needs to be taken
seriously is because it is a major health problem that affects
about 25 million Americans each year.
Fifty percent of women and twenty percent
of men over the age of 65 will attain a fracture due to Osteoporosis. Many
of those fractures are from falls, and can be debilitating
(see also preventing
falls in elderly). Even tasks such as lifting open
an old heavy chest can cause a fracture, if the bones have
been weakened enough by the disease. The most serious
osteoporotic fracture is the hip fracture (see also hip
articles), because it is very debilitating and often forces
people to live assisted for the rest of their lives.
Causes
The exact cause of osteoporosis isn't really
known to doctors, but there are some factors that are well
known and they are as follows:
-
First and foremost is aging; bone
is lost in all people with age. After the age of
35 the body builds less new bone to replace the losses
of old bone. Generally speaking the older you are
the lower your total bone mass, thus the greater your
risk for osteoporosis. A lack of estrogen in elderly
women can be correlated with loss of bone.
-
Heredity is another cause. A
family history of fractures, small slender bodies, fair
skin, and Caucasian or Asian backgrounds can increase
the risk.
-
Nutrition and lifestyle can be other
causes. For example, a low Calcium diet can be
linked with osteoporosis. Also lifestyle, for example
excessive smoking and drinking can be linked with osteoporosis.
-
Medications and other illnesses can
also be reasons. Some medications which have been
linked include steroids. Thyroid problems can be
linked as well.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of osteoporosis is usually
made by your doctor from both a complete medical history and
physical examination, skeletal x-rays, and sometimes bone densitometry. These
simple tests are performed to find out bone mass. Sometimes
bone mass can be low due to other things such as Osteomalacia
(low vitamin D intake), which can be ruled out by your doctor.
Prevention
At some point everyone in life will develop
osteoporosis, but there are some ways to prolong its development,
from slowing its progression to protecting oneself from fractures. First
it is extremely important to have an adequate amount of Calcium
in one's diet. During the early years in one's life it
is important to take in a lot of calcium so the bones can grow
strong and create a supply of reserve calcium. Throughout
life it is important to take in calcium because your body loses
calcium every day. Calcium can't prevent gradual bone
loss after menopause in women, but what it does do is maintain
bone quality. Even if you already have osteoporosis,
calcium intake is still important because it can decrease your
risk for a fracture. Excellent sources of calcium include
the following: dairy products, yogurt, and cheese. Also
lots of milk is very good, as well as green leafy vegetables,
such as broccoli, and collard greens. If you diet doesn't
include enough calcium rich foods, talk to your doctor about
getting a calcium supplement.
The next real important source to help
prevent osteoporosis is Vitamin D intake. Again if one
doesn't have enough Vitamin D in their diet, talk to your doctor
about getting a supplement.
Lastly, and certainly not lease, is exercise. Just
as muscles, bones need exercise to stay in good shape and be
strong. Age doesn't really matter, exercise will help
minimize bone loss. It is also believed to be a good
means of managing osteoporosis. The exercises that really
help are the weight-bearing exercises, such as walking, jogging,
dancing, treadmill exercising, and weight training. Weight
training is good for the elderly - it just has to be done differently. All
of the above are good ways in which to help oneself with the
dreaded disease we will all one day face: osteoporosis.
Treatment
Since lose bone cannot be replaced, treatment
for osteoporosis is to prevent further loss of bone. Treatment
usually involves the team approach including a physician, orthopedist,
gynecologist, and an endocrinologist. Exercise and nutrition
are very important as stated earlier, but they are not the
only things that can be helpful. For women at risk Estrogen
replacement therapy (ERT) is often used. This is used
to help with bone loss. There are other ways such as
Calcitonin and Thiazide but both are controversial. Other
medications are available, and you should discuss them with
your physician.
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