Osteoporosis – What is it ?

September 29, 2011 Jean Morgan Osteoporosis, 11

Osteoporosis – What is it ?

What is osteoporosis? There are many definitions that exist for osteoporosis but the best way to describe osteoporosis is a condition that arises due to the imbalance between the deposition and absorption of calcium and other minerals and proteins resulting in weak and brittle bones. The bones of a healthy individual is always undergoing a renewal process where the proteins and minerals, especially calcium, is deposited and re-absorbed. During childhood, when we are growing, the deposition of protein and minerals is more than the absorption and in around the age of 30 these two processes are balanced and at peak before the processes slow down and an imbalance starts developing. If this imbalance is too severe osteoporosis develops. This balance is especially disturbed in post-menopausal women but osteoporosis is not limited to post-menopausal women.

The risk factors that increase the probability of developing osteoporosis include age, gender, race, build, lifestyle, diet and onset of menopause. Osteoporosis is more common in women than in men due to the difference in hormonal systems. Men lose about 20% to 30% of their bone mass during the ageing process whereas women lose 30% to 50%. Osteoporosis is more common amongst Caucasian and Asian women than any other race group. Women who are small framed and women who are thin are more likely to be affected. People who indulge excessively in alcohol and people who smoke increase their chances of them developing osteoporosis. If a woman has menopause early then the chances of developing osteoporosis are increased, even when the onset of menopause is not natural for example due to surgery, a hereditary condition or due to lots of physical exercise such as in professional athletes. If the dietary intake of calcium is too low it will contribute to osteoporosis developing or worsening the condition if already present.

How do I know that I have osteoporosis? Often the first sign of osteoporosis is when you sustain a fracture. A bone will break under conditions that will not normally result in a fracture for example you may break a rib when you sneeze or cough. You may bend down to pick something up and experience severe back pain due to a fracture occurring. You may slip and fall and break a leg or hip. You may be walking and you suddenly fall down because of a fracture in the ankle or foot. For this reason osteoporosis is referred to as a silent disease in that the progress may be symptom-free up to this point where you sustain a fracture. The symptoms of osteoporosis usually become more visible after the age of 65. Another type of fracture that is common is a compression fracture of the spine resulting in the person becoming shorter over time, and also causes the development of a hunchback that is called as “dowager’s” or “widow’s” hump. Pain is usually only a symptom after a fracture has occurred. The only other way to ascertain the presence of osteoporosis before you become debilitated by the disease is by a bone density test or scan. A bone density scan is also recommended, almost routinely, in middle-aged men or women who sustains a fracture, so that a correct diagnosis can be made in the patient. This gives an indication how far the osteoporosis has developed by comparing your bone density with that of a healthy 30-year old with similar bone structure. Your bone mass is at a peak if you are 30 years of age and healthy. In the United States one out of four women dies after a hip fracture if they are over the age of 50 – this is a very alarming statistic shows how important it is to find and treat osteoporosis early, or even better yet, to ensure that you do not develop osteoporosis at all.

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Prevention is better than cure ! This old adage is very true when applied to osteoporosis. I like to recommend the use of calcium supplements from the age of at least 25 in all women. At the age of 25 you should take calcium supplements of 500mg of ELEMENTAL calcium daily. I stress the word ELEMENTAL as it is very important, for example, there are calcium supplements that contain small amounts of calcium but are sold as calcium supplements nonetheless. A product called calcium gluconate is an example to consider – the package may state 300mg calcium gluconate but they fail to mention that 300mg calcium gluconate is the equivalent of 27mg elemental calcium, meaning that you should chew 18 to 19 tablets daily to get 500mg calcium or about 38 daily to get 1000mg calcium! The best form of calcium supplement to take is usually an effervescent tablet that is combined with vitamin D as the vitamin D ensures that the calcium is absorbed by the body. From the age of 40 or 45 this calcium intake should be increased to 1000mg or 1 gram daily in women and men should start at the age of 40 with 500mg of elemental calcium. At the onset of menopause, that is when the first symptoms of menopause become apparent, you should also start on estrogen replacement therapy.

The purpose of the treatment of osteoporosis must firstly be to halt the progress of the condition and secondly the alleviation of symptoms such as pain and discomfort. The basis of treatment for menopausal women is estrogen replacement therapy(ERT) because the normal levels of estrogen maintains bone density. An alternative drug to ERT is raloxifene, a drug that is classed as a selective estrogen receptor modulator. Raloxifene is used for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis in post-menopausal women and it reduces the incidence of non-traumatic vertebral fractures and the risk of breast cancer in women with osteoporosis. Alendronate and calcitonin can be used for osteoporosis as they stop bone loss, help to build bone and decrease the risk of fractures by up to 50%.

There is no cure for osteoporosis. The damage done by the disease is never fully reversed and all the drugs and mineral supplements can do is lessen the severity of the disease and the pain experienced. The best approach to osteoporosis is prevention and this must start at the age of 25 in healthy women and at the age of 40 in healthy men.

Check out these sites for more menopause information

selective estrogen receptor modulator
selective estrogen receptor modulator
Endometrial cancer - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
Climacteric (human) - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
Menopause: MedlinePlus

Recommended Reading

• what is the menopause
• Are Bone Density Tests A Waste Of Time?
• Maintain Good Bone Density
• Men’s Health – Osteoporosis
• Bone Density Tests Risk Detectors For Osteoporosis

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