Osteoporosis

What are the effects of osteoporosis on bone?

Bones are made up of minerals, mainly calcium that is bound together by collagen fibers. The bones have a thick hard shell (cortical bone) beneath which a softer honeycomb mesh of bone (trabecular bone) resides.

Bone remodeling is a natural process of replacing old bone tissue with the new one. With progressing age, bone begins to lose a little density. However, in patients with osteoporosis, the bone loss is severe (reduced density) and the holes in the honeycomb mesh become larger (porous), thus bones become weaker and prone to injuries.

What are the types of osteoporosis?

Senile osteoporosis: Age-associated osteoporosis that usually occurs in the people of age above 70 years. In most cases, it is related to hip and vertebral body fractures.

Post-menopausal osteoporosis: As the name suggests, it occurs in women after menopause.

What are the risk factors for osteoporosis?

Some factors that increase the risk of osteoporosis include:

• Body mass index lesser than 18.5
• History of amenorrhea, i.e. irregularities of periods in women
• Insufficient calcium intake
• Personal habits like smoking, excessive alcohol intake etc.
• Someone in the family having osteoporosis
• Elderly and postmenopausal women, more so those with an early menopause
• Prolonged use of medications like steroids, medicines for treating medical conditions like asthma, lupus, deficiency of thyroid deficiencies, seizures etc.
• Not ambulatory; bed-ridden, restricted to wheelchair.
• Other medical conditions such as overactive thyroid, rheumatoid arthritis, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, type 1 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease.
• Small stature and thinness of body’s frame

How is osteoporosis treated?

Osteoporosis without any fragility fracture can be managed in the early stages by:

• A diet rich in calcium and vitamin D
• Medications and physiotherapy as prescribed by the orthopedist
• Preventive care for falls and accidents – checks for vision, hearing and walking ability; reviewing home circumstances and medications.
• Use of hip protectors
• A healthy lifestyle and weight management prevent or delay the progression of the disease

Osteoporosis with fragility fracture requires treatment along with the above strategies:

• Medications that prevent and treat bone loss.
• Parathyroid hormone peptides
• Calcium and vitamin D

References