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Bones play an important role throughout our lives. They hold up our bodies. They serve as levers for our muscles, allowing us to move. They protect vital organs like our heart and lungs. They serve as a manufacturing plant for blood cells, and a warehouse for the calcium that's vital to our heart and muscle function. All in all, bones play a significant role in our health, independence and quality of life.
So it's important to protect our bones from diseases like osteoporosis. Consider the following facts and links to learn how. What is Osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a condition of decreased bone strength, where bones get too thin and weak to support your activities. The word osteoporosis literally means bone (osteo) that is porous, or filled with holes (porosis). Porous bones can become very brittle, leading to fractures. In advanced osteoporosis, fractures can occur even through normal activities like bending and lifting. What Causes Osteoporosis? To understand the cause of osteoporosis, we must first explore some facts about bone. Bone is a living tissue with cells that turn over, meaning that they die and are replaced regularly. Proper diet, exercise and hormone levels keep this turnover process in balance. In healthy, active children and young adults, the body actually produces more new bone cells than those that die. So bones are usually dense and strong in youth. Bone mass peaks at the age of 25. After that, the turnover process remains about even for the next 15 or 20 years. Around the age of 40, bone cells start to die at a more rapid rate than they can be replaced. This starts a decline in bone mass that accelerates when estrogen levels decline after menopause in women, and when testosterone levels decline in later life in men. Osteoporosis occurs when a decline in bone mass goes too far. That may occur for a number of reasons, including:
In the U.S. today, more than 10 million people have osteoporosis, and another 18 million have low bone mass that puts them at risk of the disease. Osteoporosis is responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures each year. Anyone can develop osteoporosis, but American women are four times more likely to develop it than men. Research also shows the following non-controllable risk factors:
Osteoporosis is often called a silent disease, because its beginning stages have no symptoms. The first sign that you have osteoporosis may be a fracture caused by a fall or minor trauma. Fractures of the bones in the spine, the wrist, and the hip are most common. Spinal fractures can result in an overall loss of body height or visible changes in posture. Some spinal fractures are very painful and disabling. How is Osteoporosis Detected? In addition to medical history and physical examination, the most common method of diagnosing osteoporosis and predicting future fracture risk is through measurement of bone mineral density. Bone mineral density can be measured quickly and painlessly at your doctor's office or clinic using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, or DEXA, machine. People with a DEXA score below a certain average are considered to have osteoporosis. People with bone mineral density levels higher than those set for osteoporosis, but lower than considered healthy, are considered to have osteopenia. People with osteopenia are at a lower risk of fracture than those with osteoporosis, but they do require monitoring and possible treatment. How Can I Prevent Osteoporosis? The best treatment for osteoporosis is prevention. Preventing osteoporosis starts in childhood by building peak bone mass, or the strongest bone possible for you. If you are beyond childhood, there are still ways that you can slow the rate of bone loss and minimize your risk of fracture. Those include:
Many of the steps you can take to prevent osteoporosis, such as increasing calcium intake, exercising regularly, and taking estrogen after menopause, are also essential to its treatment. In addition, several medication options make osteoporosis treatment possible for post-menopausal women who don't want to risk estrogen's adverse effects. They also may be suited for younger women, men and children. Options to discuss with your doctor include:
Preventing falls is the best way to avoid fractures. Even a minor tumble can break a bone that's already weakened by osteoporosis. To prevent falls, be sure to:
For more information about osteoporosis, including books and free pamphlets, contact: National Osteoporosis Foundation 1232 22nd St. NW Washington, DC 20037 202-223-2226 800-231-4222 www.nof.org Arthritis Foundation, Michigan Chapter 1050 Wilshire Dr. #302 Troy, MI 48084 248-649-2891 800-968-3030 (in Michigan) www.arthritis.org Mayo Clinic www.mayoclinic.org National Institutes of Health National Library of Medicine www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ |