Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a progressive disease that causes bones to become thin and brittle, making them more likely to break. Both women and men are more apt to have osteoporosis if they fail to reach their optimum bone mineral density during the childhood and teenage years, critical times for building bones.
Osteoporosis is related to the loss of bone mass that occurs as part of the natural process of aging. Although osteoporosis can occur in men, it is most common in women who have gone through menopause.
Not getting adequate calcium and phosphorus-two minerals needed for bone density and strength-and a lack of vitamin D can also contribute to the development of osteoporosis.
Not being physically active can also lead to osteoporosis.
Treatment for osteoporosis includes eating a diet with sufficient calcium and vitamin D, getting regular exercise, and taking medication to reduce bone loss

Signs and Symptoms

Osteoporosis means “porous bones.” If you have osteoporosis, your bones don’t look any different, but they lose substance as well as calcium and other minerals. As a result, your bones have less strength and are more likely to fracture, particularly if you fall. The most common osteoporosis fractures resulting from falls are in your wrist or hip. You also are much more likely to have compression fractures in your vertebrae, the bones in your spine. A compression fracture is the result of the weakened bone cracking from the normal pressure of being upright. This often results in the curvature of the spine at the shoulders in older people sometimes called a “widow’s hump.”
The appearance of the widow’s hump or a fractured wrist or hip from a fall may be the first actual symptoms of osteoporosis unless your doctor has been measuring your bone density. Men also should watch for a loss of height, change in posture or sudden back pain. There are a number of risk factors that increase a person’s likelihood of having osteoporosis.

Risk Factors for Women

• European or American ethnic background
• Personal history of fracture as an adult
• Poor general health
• Smoking tobacco
• Low body weight, less than 127 pounds
• Estrogen deficiency
• Early menopause, before age 45
• Surgical removal of the ovaries before age 45
• Prior to menopause, having a time in your life when you went more than a year without a menstrual period
• Taking medical therapy that lowers estrogen levels, such as for breast cancer or endometriosis
• Lifelong low calcium intake
• Alcoholism
• Poor vision despite correction, like wearing glasses
• Falling
• Inadequate physical activity

Risk Factors for Men

• Heredity
• Race — White men appear to be at the greatest risk for developing osteoporosis, although the condition can affect people of all ethnic groups
• Undiagnosed low levels of testosterone
• Falling
• Inadequate physical activity
• Age — Bone loss increases with age
• Chronic disease that alters hormone levels and affects the kidneys, lungs, stomach and intestines
• Smoking tobacco
• Alcoholism
• Lifelong low calcium intake
• Low body weight

Osteoporosis is a condition of weak bone caused by a loss of bone
mass as well as a change in bone structure. The first picture is
normal bone and the second shows osteoporotic bone.

Prevention

Lifestyle changes may be the best way of preventing osteoporosis:
• Make sure you are getting enough calcium in your diet (roughly 1000-1500 mg/day, but will depend on your age)
• Make sure you are getting enough vitamin D (between 400-800 IU/day)
• Stop smoking
• Avoid excess alcohol intake
• Engage in weight-bearing exercises
• Treat underlying medical conditions that can cause osteoporosis
• Minimize or change medications that can cause osteoporosis; never stop taking any medication without speaking with your doctor first
• If you are at high risk for falls, consider using hip protectors (e.g. SAFEHIP ®), which will help prevent a hip fracture if you fall

Taken care of to consider

The most health-threatening consequence of osteoporosis is a fracture. Spine and hip fractures especially may lead to chronic pain, long-term disability and even death. The major goal of treating osteoporosis is to prevent fractures.
If you have osteoporosis, it is important not only to help prevent further bone loss, but also to prevent a fracture. Eliminate hazards in the house that can increase your risk of falling (remove loose wires or throw rugs, install grab bars in the bathroom and non-skid mats near sinks and in the tub, etc.) Be careful when you are carrying or lifting items, as this could cause a spine fracture. Wear sturdy shoes, especially in winter. Use a cane or walker if you have balance problems or other difficulties walking.

Remember to:

  • Make sure there is enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet.
  • Get regular exercise.
  • Eliminate lifestyle choices that increase your risk of osteoporosis.
  • Increase foods containing calcium, including nonfat or ]ow4at dairy products. You can add dry, powdered milk to certain recipes — puddings, meat loafs, muffins, and baked goods–to boost calcium content.
  • Reduce your protein intake (limit to 6 ounces dally) and your salt intake (avoid the salt shaker and use sparingly in cooking).
  • Eliminate caffeine, sugar, and alcohol from your diet.
  • Stop smoking.
  • Adopt a program of regular exercise.

Aside from the supplement daily, you must take:

• Calcium: 1,200 mg. of calcium citrate at bedtime.
• Magnesium: 400 mg. daily.
• Boron: 2 mg. daily.
• A good multiple vitamin that will provide 400 I.U. of vitamin D.

IN ADDITION:

There is a new drug that’s being used to treat osteoporosis, though it hasn’t been approved by the FDA for that purpose (it has been approved to treat another bone disorder). The drug is called Etidronate, and it’s taken in conjunction with calcium.

As the bone of the spine thins, fractures can occur that cause a loss of height and a forward curvature of the spine.

Sources: UCSF Health, Web MD, Alternative Medicine

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