Osteoporosis is defined as a bone mineral density that is significantly lower than average for a young healthy adult.
The phrase "established osteoporosis" indicates that a bone fracture has already occurred.
The greatest risk of osteoporosis is bone fractures.
As bone density decreases, bones become more fragile and they can break quite easily.
Postmenopausal osteoporosis is the type seen in women and is called primary type 1.
Primary type 2 or the senile type is seen in both men and women after the age of 75, although women are still twice as likely as men to have the condition.
Symptoms There are no early symptoms.
As time goes by, hyperkyphosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine, may occur.
The curvature makes the affected person's back appear to have a hump.
Fragility fractures are sometimes the first indicators of the disease.
These fractures occur as a result of normal activities.
For example, an elderly patient in the hospital once broke both of her legs simply by trying to move them.
Fragility fractures most often occur in the vertebra of the back, in the neck, in the femur and in the wrist.
But all of the bones become fragile and a fracture can occur anywhere.
Cause and Risk Factors The bone building process is one that continues throughout a person's life.
The "peak" bone mass is achieved in adolescence.
From that point, the bones go through a constant, usually unnoticed process of breaking down and rebuilding or "remodeling".
The process may naturally slow down to some extent with age, but not to the point that fragility fractures occur in all people.
Since osteoporosis does not affect everyone, scientists have sought to identify risk factors.
The reason that some of these things cause decreased bone mineral density is clear in some cases, but less clear in others.
Here's the list of risk factors, along with the possible reasons when they are known.
· Physical inactivity - bone remodeling occurs in response to physical stress; inactivity leads to significant bone loss · Being underweight - this is one of the few age-related conditions that is seen less often in overweight individuals; simply being overweight puts some stress on the bones · Being exposed to heavy metals such as lead or cadmium - the risk is greatest for people who are exposed to the metals on the job, but even low level exposure is associated with lower bone mineral density · Smoking cigarettes - cigarette smoke contains cadmium · Drinking soft drinks containing phosphoric acid, primarily colas - phosphoric acid binds with magnesium and calcium in the digestive tract to form salts that cannot be absorbed by the body · Lack of specific nutrients in the diet - the nutrients are covered in my next article Associated Health Problems Osteoporosis is a component of the frailty syndrome that is sometimes seen in the elderly.
The syndrome includes muscle loss and muscle weakness, decreased energy levels and unintended weight loss due partly to loss of appetite.
The syndrome increases the risk of post-surgical complications and makes falls more likely, thereby increasing the risk of bone fractures.
People who have diagnosed osteoporosis may benefit from certain medications that stimulate bone-building activity, but the condition may be preventable with improved nutrient intake.
You can learn more about the nutrients needed to prevent osteoporosis in my next article.
It's not just calcium.