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What is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by weak and fragile bones. Osteoporosis can result in falls and fractures, leading to physical disability, surgeries and even death.
Who is at risk for Osteoporosis?
Anyone can get osteoporosis, but certain people are more at risk than others. Those include: females; having an inactive lifestyle; history of fracture after age 50 or fracture in a relative; low bone mass; being thin and/or having a small frame; smokers; advanced age; family history of osteoporosis; estrogen deficiency; abnormal absence of menstrual periods (amenorrhea); anorexia nervosa; low lifetime calcium intake; vitamin D deficiency; use of certain medications (corticosteroids, chemotherapy, anticonvulsants and others); presence of certain chronic medical conditions; low testosterone levels in men; excessive use of alcohol; being Caucasian or Asian, although African Americans and Hispanic Americans are at significant risk as well.
Statistics
An estimated ten million Americans currently have Osteoporosis. Eight million of those Americans are females. An estimated 34 million Americans have low bone mass that will possibly lead to osteoporosis.
Twenty percent of non-Hispanic white and Asian females over the age of 50 are estimated to have osteoporosis. Five percent of non-Hispanic black females and ten percent of Hispanic females over the age of 50 are estimated to have osteoporosis.
One in two women over the age of 50 and 1 in 4 men over the age of 50 will have an Osteoporosis related fracture in their lifetime.
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Symptoms
There are generally no symptoms to let you know you have osteoporosis. People typically do not know they have the disease until they end up falling or bumping into something that results in a fracture.
Prevention
Include calcium and vitamin D in your daily diet starting as an adolescent
adults under the age of 50 should get 1,000mg of calcium and 400-800IU of Vitamin D daily
adults over the age of 50 should get 1,200mg of calcium and 800-1000IU of Vitamin D daily
Weight bearing and resistant training exercises can reduce your risks
Maintain a healthy lifestyle without alcohol consumption or nicotine use
Early detection of the disease with a bone mineral density test.
Treatment
There is no cure for osteoporosis but there are medications available to prevent and treat the disease. There are several medications that will slow the progression of the disease and one medication that actually builds bone and improves bone mineral density. As with all medications, there can be side effects. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about the medications for osteoporosis and their potential side effects.
Who should be tested for Osteoporosis?
All women over the age of 65, younger postmenopausal women with other risk factors, postmenopausal women with a history of a fracture.
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Testing
A bone mineral density (BMD) test tells you how much bone mass you have. This test is non-invasive and painless. Measurements of the hip, spine, wrist, finger, shin bone or heel can be done depending on the type of machine being used.
What do the test results mean?
A BMD test will give two results, a T-score and a Z-score. The T-score compares your results to the bone density of a normal, healthy 30-year-old person. A T-score greater than -0.9 is normal, a T-score of -1 to -2.5 is low bone mass and a T-score greater than -2.5 is considered Osteoporosis. A Z-score compares your bone density to someone of your age and body size. Since the elderly population commonly has low bone density, this number can be misleading in diagnosis.
For more information visit:
National Osteoporosis Foundation www.nof.org.
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