What You Need to Know About Osteoporosis

The older we get, the weaker our bones become. Even with a healthy diet and exercise, this fact is all but unavoidable. In some cases, though, a person’s bones can weaken so much as they age that the risk of breaks and fractures increases exponentially. This condition is known as osteoporosis, and it’s one that affects approximately 10 million Americans aged 50 and older.

To help raise awareness about osteoporosis, its treatments, and how it can be prevented, October 20 is recognized as “World Osteoporosis Day“. Let’s take a moment to honor the occasion by exploring everything you need to know about osteoporosis, including what osteoporosis is and what causes it, how osteoporosis is treated and diagnosed, and how to reduce your osteoporosis risk.

What is Osteoporosis?

It’s a little strange to think about, but the bones in the human body completely regenerate themselves about once every ten years. This means that the bones you have today are all made of entirely new cells compared to the bones in your body ten years ago. Like any other cell in the body, it’s perfectly normal for bone cells to replace themselves in this manner. But when the body produces too little bone, loses too much bone, or both, bones become weak and prone to breaking.

In Latin, osteoporosis means “porous bones”. When you look at healthy tissue under a microscope you will see a honeycomb pattern. Osteoporosis, however, causes the holes and spaces in this honeycomb to grow larger, reducing bone density and thus reducing bone strength.

What Causes Osteoporosis?

Age is the biggest risk factor for osteoporosis. Sex is another risk factor for osteoporosis, as women are four times more likely to develop the condition than men due to post-menopause hormone changes. Other factors that are thought to increase a person’s risk of developing osteoporosis include:

• Lack of calcium
• Lack of exercise
• Certain medications such as prednisone and cortisone
• Certain medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease
• Gastrointestinal surgery
• Family history
• Thyroid problems

How is Osteoporosis Diagnosed?

Osteoporosis doesn’t cause any symptoms other than weakening a person’s bones, and this is a symptom that is likely to go unnoticed until a bone eventually fractures or breaks. This can make osteoporosis a little difficult to diagnose. Thankfully, there are tests that can reliably detect osteoporosis. The best way to test for osteoporosis is to measure bone density at the hip and spine using a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). In addition to diagnosing osteoporosis, this test is also able to predict a patient’s fracture risk since it measures bone density at the sites most prone to fracture. Osteoporosis is sometimes diagnosed by using a peripheral DXA to measure bone density at the wrist and heel. This device has the benefit of being more portable, but it is only able to diagnose osteoporosis and is not useful for predicting fracture risks or monitoring the effects of medication.

How is Osteoporosis Treated?

There isn’t a cure for osteoporosis, but the condition can be improved with both medication and dietary changes. Bisphosphonates such as Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva, and Reclast are commonly prescribed to osteoporosis patients, and these medications work by slowing bone resorption, defined as the process by which bone tissue is broken down and released into the bloodstream. In women, estragon is sometimes prescribed to treat osteoporosis, while testosterone is sometimes prescribed to men with the condition.

Another way to treat osteoporosis is to make sure you are getting enough calcium and vitamin D in your diet. The recommended amount of daily calcium intake for adults is 1,000-1,200 mg, while the recommended amount of daily vitamin D intake is 600-800 international units (IU). Getting this amount via either food or supplements can slow the progression of osteoporosis.

How to Reduce Your Risk of Developing Osteoporosis

The best way to reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis is to eat a healthy diet that is rich in key vitamins and minerals such as calcium and vitamin D. Foods such as dairy products, kale, dried figs, calcium-fortified juices and bread, and sardines are all rich in calcium. You can also get the recommended daily amount of calcium by taking a calcium supplement.

Along with a healthy diet, getting plenty of exercise is key to lowering osteoporosis risk as well. If you are a heavy drinker, reducing your alcohol intake is another key to lowering osteoporosis risk. Tobacco consumption is thought to be associated with an increased risk of developing osteoporosis as well, though the exact link between tobacco consumption and osteoporosis is still unclear.

10 million Americans have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis, but another 44 million are at an increased risk of developing the condition. With October 20th being World Osteoporosis Day, be sure to take a moment to recognize the importance of keeping your bones healthy and strong.