Seventy-five million people in the United States, Europe, and Japan have osteoporosis. In the United States, half of women over the age of 50 will break a bone because of the disease. Patients with osteoporosis have low bone mass and structural deterioration of bone tissue, and the result is bone fragility which may lead to fractures of the hip, wrist, spine, and other bones.
It is a silent disease as many patients do not experience any symptoms until a fracture takes place. As they grow older, their posture changes, and they may become stooped or hunched because the vertebral column breaks or collapses. There is no cure for osteoporosis, but it is possible to take preventive measures as early as childhood.
Most women achieve their maximum skeletal mass by age 20. Young girls who attain their peak bone mass are more likely to have a high bone mass when they become older than are women who never reach their peak bone mass.
Risk factors
There are several risk factors for osteoporosis, and some of them are modifiable. Gender is a risk factor because women are more likely to develop the disease than are men. Race is another risk factor as Caucasians and Asians are more prone to it than are people of other racial groups. Postmenopausal women lose a fifth of their bone mass and are therefore especially at risk.
Age is a risk factor, as the older a person is, the more likely he or she is to have the disease. Sedentary lifestyle will predispose an individual to osteoporosis because these people do not engage much in weight-bearing exercises. A diet low in calcium or vitamin D will place one at risk as well. Certain medications such as long term steroid therapy will create a risk for the disease.
Individuals who have small bodies and thin bones will be at risk for the disease. Patients with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia will have a predisposition for osteoporosis. Finally, a family history of osteoporosis or broken bones will place one at risk.
Prevention
To prevent the development of osteoporosis, it is important that young girls consume adequate amounts of calcium in their diet. They will also benefit from weight-bearing exercises which cause bones and muscles to work against gravity. Some of these exercises include walking, jogging, tennis, racquetball, dancing, soccer, jumping rope, hiking, basketball, running, and stair climbing. Swimming, bicycling, and stretching and flexibility exercises, though beneficial for health in general, are not weight-bearing and do not help to prevent osteoporosis.
Cigarette smoking will place a person at risk for the disease and for bone fractures, and it is always best to avoid tobacco. Excessive alcohol intake will also pose a problem for bone health. After the age of 50, every adult should visit a physician's office every year in order to measure his or her height without shoes because people with osteoporosis tend to become shorter as the years pass.
The physician can also detect the presence of osteoporosis with history, physical examination, and laboratory tests. Some of those tests include x-rays, nuclear bone scan, blood calcium levels, blood levels of certain hormones, bone density test, and other examinations.
Elderly people should also take measures to prevent falls at home and other places they go.
References
Centers for Disease Control. (2010). Nutrition for everyone. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
National Osteoporosis Foundation. (2010). About osteoporosis. Retrieved December 23, 2010.
Michael Koger - Dr. Koger obtained his medical education at Meharry Medical College and specialized in Internal Medicine.
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