About Oseteoporosis

Causes    Target Populations    Diagnosis & Treatment

Osteoporosis is a common bone disease that affects both men and women, usually as they grow older. You can take steps to reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis and avoiding the often debilitating bone fractures that can result from this disease. If you already have osteoporosis, new osteoporosis drugs are available to slow or even stop its progression.

Fast Facts

• Age is not the only risk factor for osteoporosis. Other diseases and even medications can cause this condition.
• A simple diagnostic test known as a bone density test can provide valuable information about your bone strength.
• New medications exist to slow and even stop the progression of osteoporosis.

Take our Osteoporosis health assessment

What is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a silent disease of the bones that makes them weaken and prone to fracture. Bone is living tissue that is in a constant state of regeneration, as old bone is removed (bone resorption) and replaced by new bone (bone formation).

By their mid-30s, most people begin to gradually lose bone strength as the balance between bone resorption and bone formation shifts, so that more bone is lost than can be replaced. As a result, bones become thinner and structurally weaker. The disease is "silent" because there are no symptoms when you have osteoporosis, and the condition may come to attention only after you break a bone. When you have osteoporosis, this can occur even after a minor injury, such as a fall. The most common fractures occur at the spine, wrist and hip. Spine and hip fractures in particular may lead to chronic pain, long-term disability and even death. The goal of treating osteoporosis is to prevent such fractures in the first place.

Causes

Many factors will increase your risk of developing osteoporosis and suffering a fracture. Some of these risk factors can be changed, while others cannot. Recognizing your own risk factors is important so that you can take steps to prevent this condition from developing or treat it before it becomes worse. Major risk factors include:

• Older age (starting in the mid-30s but accelerating after 50)
• Non-Hispanic white and Asian ethnic background
• Small bone structure
• Family history of osteoporosis or osteoporosis-related fracture in a parent or sibling
• Previous fracture following a low-level trauma, especially after age 50
• Sex hormone deficiency, particularly estrogen deficiency, both in women (e.g. menopause) and men
• Anorexia nervosa
• Cigarette smoking
• Alcohol abuse
• Low dietary intake or absorption of calcium and vitamin D
• Sedentary lifestyle or immobility
• Medications: glucocorticoid medications such as prednisone (Prelone); excess thyroid hormone replacement; the blood thinner heparin (Calciparine, Liquaemin, etc.); certain anti-convulsant medications such as phenytoin (Dilantin) and ethotoin (Peganone), etc.
• Certain diseases can affect bone, such as endocrine disorders (hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, Cushing's disease, etc.) and inflammatory arthritis

Target Populations

Osteoporosis is more common in older individuals and non-Hispanic white women, but can occur at any age, in men as well as in women, and in all ethnic groups. In the U.S., about 8 million women and 2 million men have osteoporosis. Those over the age of 50 are at greatest risk of developing osteoporosis and suffering related fractures. In this age group, one in two women and one in six men, will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture at some point in their life.

Diagnosis & Treatment

A simple test that measures the bone mineral density (BMD) at different parts of your body, such as your spine and your hip, can help determine if you have osteoporosis. Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is the best current test to measure BMD. The test is quick and painless; it is similar to having an x-ray taken, but uses much less radiation. The results of the DEXA test are scored in comparison to the BMD of young, healthy individuals, resulting in a measurement called a T-score. If your T-score is -2.5 or lower, you are considered to have osteoporosis and therefore at high risk for a fracture. T-scores between -1.0 and -2.5 are generally considered to show "osteopenia." The risk of fractures is generally lower in people with osteopenia when compared with those with osteoporosis, but if bone loss continues, the risk for fracture increases.

To maintain bone health:

• Make sure there is enough calcium in your diet (1000 mg per day of calcium for women before menopause and 1500 mg per day for women who are postmenopausal and are not taking estrogen replacement therapy).
• Get adequate vitamin D intake, which is important for calcium absorption and to maintain muscle strength (400IU per day until age 60, 600-800 IU per day after age 60).
• Get regular exercise, especially weight bearing exercise.

Broader health impact

The most health-threatening consequence of osteoporosis is a fracture. Spine and hip fractures especially may lead to chronic pain, long-term disability and even death. The major goal of treating osteoporosis is to prevent fractures. If you do suffer a vertebral compression fracture then Vertebroplasty is an outpatient procedure, which is designed to treat these fractures safely and effectively.

Sign up for a free bone density screening by calling 1-888-934-BONE.

Learn more about general facts regarding Osteoporosis through the online tutorial:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ tutorials/osteoporosis/htm/index.htm.