What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is the weakening and thinning of the bones within our body. Remodeling is the continual changing of our bones. During the transformation, old bone vanishes and is replaced with new bone. People who suffer from osteoporosis do experience new bone growth, but bone mass density is lost faster than it is replaced.

Osteoporosis has no symptoms in the early stage. As time passes, bones weaken and thin and fractures easily occur; often from everyday activities such as lifting or from very minor injuries that wouldn’t ordinarily cause fractures in healthy bone.

The most common areas that are easily fractured are the spine, hip and wrist.

Who is Most Affected by Osteoporosis?

Though men can get osteoporosis, women are more often affected, especially during and after going through menopause. One in eight women and one in eight men over the age of 50 will suffer from osteoporosis.

Signs and Symptoms

• A fracture of the spine, hip or wrist that is known as a low-trauma facture. This means the fracture is caused by a minor fall or injury.

• A loss of height over the period of a few years.

• The forward curving of the upper back. Health care professionals often refer to this condition as Dowager’s hump, or kyphosis.

• Certain kinds of back pain.

How Our Bones Change

Over the course of our lifetime, our bones change constantly. During childhood, our bones grow quickly. When teenagers reach their maximum height, their bones reach their maximum length. The daily intake of a calcium supplement should be taken at this time, along with a supplement of Vitamin D, which helps our bodies absorb the calcium. Exercise is very important to build and maintain healthy bones during this time.

As teenagers move into young adulthood, their bones become denser. Between the age of 25 and 30 humans reach their peak bone mass. This is the highest bone density they will reach during their lifetime. To maximize bone strength, it is important that you become physically active by getting a lot of exercise while taking adequate doses of both calcium and Vitamin D.

When humans reach age 35, their bone mass density begins to slowly decline. Bone loss can be minimized by continuing to exercise and take a daily supplement of calcium and Vitamin D.

Osteoporosis in Males and Females

At one time osteoporosis was considered a disease of women. This is no longer the case; the disease is very prominent in men as well. However, there are some physical differences between males and females that can influence a man’s risk of fracture, compared to that of women.

Since men have larger bones, this may influence may affect the risk of bone fracture in men. The relationship between bone mineral density and fracture risk also differs in men because of the greater bone size. But just as in women, low bone mineral density is considered a predictor of osteoporosis in men.

Age-related bone loss also differs in males. Men achieve their peak bone mass density later than females because male puberty is later. After reaching their peak bone mass, men maintain stable bone density during middle age, but as they enter old age, their bone mass density declines rapidly. As with women, age-related loss of bone mass is considered to be normal as they age. Several factors contribute to this: Vitamin D deficiency, declining kidney function and changes in hormone levels all play a part in the loss of bone mass density. In men, testosterone decline also plays a part in loss of bone density.

Advancing age increases the risk of osteoporosis 13% in men and 40% in women, which makes it important for both males and females over the age of 50 to have bone density tests.

Women, Menopause and Loss of Bone Density

When women reach the age of menopause, loss of bone density increases due to a decrease in estrogen. Since a woman doesn’t produce as much estrogen during menopause, bone loss can accelerate as much as 3% to 5% yearly. This loss of bone density continues for up to a decade, though bone loss is more accelerated in the early years of menopause. During the years of menopause, women can lose as much as a half of the total bone loss that they experience in their entire life.

Women who are going through menopause need daily supplements of calcium and Vitamin D, as well as daily exercise. Even then, loss of bone density can be extreme. Women should ask their doctors to give them a bone density test in order to monitor the maximum bone loss.

When menopause ceases, the rate of bone density loss decreases, though the body is still producing new bone. However, bone loss is often more than the rate of new bone growth. During this time in a woman’s life, osteoporosis and the risk of bone fracture becomes greater.

Who Should Be Tested for Osteoporosis?

Men over the age of 50 and postmenopausal women should be screened yearly for bone density loss.

Major Osteoporosis Factors

Your family doctor may way several risk factors to help determine if you are a candidate for osteoporosis. These include:

• Early menopause before age 45

• Fragility of fracture after age 40

• Being 65 years of age or over

• Systematic use of medications known as glucocorticoids for more than a three month period

• A history of falls

• Vertebral fractures

• Family history of osteoporosis or osteoporosis fracture, especially on the maternal side. Also maternal hip fracture

Minor Risk Factors

• A history of hyperthyroidism

• Being a smoker

• Being an excessive drinker

• Drinking excess amounts of products containing caffeine

• Body weight of over 126 lbs. (57 kg)

• Losing more than 10% of total body weight before the age of 25

• Having rheumatoid arthritis

• Chronic use of the medication heparin

• Low calcium intake from dietary food

Determining the Presence of Osteoporosis

The above list is the most common factors that your doctor will use to determine if you have osteoporosis. He will take your family history into account and give you a physical exam. This gives him a wide range of knowledge about your risk of developing osteoporosis. If he feels your risk factor is high, he will order a bone density test. The test is performed by using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.

What is Bone Densitometry?

You may not be aware of the presence of osteoporosis because there are no signs or symptoms until the disease is fairly well advanced. The best ways for your doctor to determine if you are losing bone mineral density too quickly is by ordering a bone densitometry test. This will tell your doctor exactly how quickly your bone density is deteriorating when he compares your bone mass to normal ranges. By performing the bone densitometry test, your doctor can chart and record your bone loss over a period of time.

Is Bone Mineral Density Testing Difficult or Painful?

Bone mineral density testing is non-invasive, painless and safe. Some bone mineral density tests use sound waves while others use minute amounts of radiation to determine the density of your bones. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry is noted for both its accuracy and low amount of radiation exposure.

Who Needs a Bone Mineral Density Test?

• All men and women over 65 years of age should have a bone mineral density test

• Women and men with one or more of the major risk factors or two or more minor risk factors should also be tested.

What is a T-score?

A T-score is the most common result from a bone densitometry test. A T-score will compare your bone density to that of a younger person of the same gender. Be sure to know your T-score results and follow the T-scores of bone densitometry testing whenever the test is conducted.

A T-score between 1 and 2.5 indicates a loss of bone mass. A T-score that is equal or lower than 2.5 brings a diagnosis of osteoporosis.

Your doctor must take all of your risk factors into consideration in order to make recommendation for treatment.

Keeping Your Bones Healthy

If you have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, there are a variety of things you can do to assure you will remain active. Exercise daily, take recommended doses of calcium and Vitamin D and make a few simple lifestyle changes. These things will protect you from the dangers that come with advanced osteoporosis.

Calcium

Calcium is essential for the formation and maintenance of good bone health. Foods that contain calcium are milk and diary products, sardines and fish, tofu, green leafy vegetables, calcium fortified juices and other products. Cheese, yogurt, almonds sesame seeds, whole wheat bread, figs, broccoli and Florida oranges also are great sources of dietary calcium.

Food is the best source of calcium that your body can get. However, if you aren’t getting enough, ask your family doctor to recommend a calcium supplement.

Calcium Supplements

There are many forms of calcium supplements, including tablets, chewables and liquids. All of these products contain calcium salt that may or may not be combined with other ingredients. Some common calcium supplements are calcium citrate, calcium carbonate, calcium gluconate and calcium lactate.

How Much Calcium Do I Need?

• Adults over the age of 50 should take a calcium supplement of 1500 mg. daily.

• Pregnant or nursing mothers should have a daily supplement of 1000 mg. daily.

• Adults between the ages of 19 years and 50 years need 1000 mg. daily.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is necessary if you want your bones to remain in optimum health because it helps the body absorb calcium. The most natural way to get Vitamin D is to spend time in the sun. This causes the body to produce Vitamin D.

Foods that contain Vitamin D include margarine, chicken livers, eggs salmon, herring, sardines, swordfish and halibut and cod liver oils.

How Much Vitamin D?

• Adults over the age of 50 should take a daily supplement of 800 IU

• Pregnant or nursing mothers should take a daily supplement of 400 IU

• Adults between the ages of 19 and 50 years need a daily dose of 400 IU

Foods That Contain Vitamin D

Cheese, milk, chicken eggs, eel, salmon, herring, sardines, butter, cod liver oil and soy, vegetable or corn oil margarine. Check labels on cereals to determine if they contain Vitamin D.

Exercise

If you wish to keep your bones in optimum health, you need to exercise daily. Individuals who are active have less bone density loss than others, who risk becoming afflicted with osteoporosis.

Do daily exercise that will build muscle. This will lower the risk of fractures should you fall because you body will be more flexible. Always consult your doctor before beginning an exercise regime.

Simple Exercises

Any exercise where your legs carry your weight is excellent. This type of exercise includes walking, running, jogging, dancing, climbing stairs, tennis, golfing and aerobics. Postmenopausal women should exercise between three and seven times each week. Weight bearing exercise stops bone mineral loss, especially when combined with daily supplements of calcium and Vitamin D.

Resistance exercise involves moving objects with your body weight. This type of exercise includes weight-training machines, free weights or exercise bands. Resistance exercise strengthens a particular muscle group as well as the bone in that particular area.

If you can improve your balance and coordination, you lessen the risk of taking a fall. Exercises that improve balance and coordination can help you handle a sudden shift of balance. Tai Chi is an excellent exercise to improve both balance and coordination.

Improving posture is very important for those at risk for osteoporosis. Exercises that will help you improve your posture are arm and back extensions and shoulder and abdominal exercise.

Avoiding Falls and Fall Related Injuries

Accidents can and do happen every day. Falls can cause those with osteoporosis to sustain fractures. Follow these simple guidelines to avoid falls and fall related injuries.

• Make sure your home is well lit

• Wear rubber soled shoes to prevent slipping

• Remove any hazards from your home, including throw rugs

• Equip your bathroom with handrails and be sure to use them

• Use caution when bending, lifting or reaching

• Store things that you use frequently in an easy-to-reach place

Medications

Talk to your doctor and discuss what would be the best medications for you. There are a variety of osteoporosis drugs on today’s market and your doctor will be able to recommend the one that is best for you.