Experts of the World health organization predict that numbers of hip fracture as a consequence of osteoporosis will grow threefold until middle of 21th century: from 1.7 million in 1990 to 6,3 million in 2050.
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Direct annual medical expenses for 2.3 millions fractures across USA and Europe goes over 27 million dollars. Osteoporosis is social illness because lot of a people lose the ability to take care of themselves after the fracture and need help in dealing with the simplest everyday things.
Osteoporosis is considered to be a female condition and it is often associated with menopause. This is just partially correct since one in three women and one in eight men are at risk of the heavier complications of osteoporosis fracture.
As our bones constantly change and recover, there is no bone in our body older than ten years. Two main types of cells are responsible for keeping our bones healthy: osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Osteoblasts help in bone creation while osteoclasts devastate old bone cells and create space for new ones. Osteoblasts, "builders" of the bones, constantly fights with "destroyers", osteoclasts. Both cell types are important and necessary but osteoblasts are the key for stopping osteoporosis. Regulation of bone growing can weaken as we going old and new bones cells cannot replace destroyed ones. Exactly that happens with osteoporosis.
They are two basic types of osteoporosis. The first type appears around 50 years of age in women in menopause as a consequence of low estrogens level. The second or so called "senile" appears around 70years of age as a consequence of weaker calcium metabolism in older ages.
The bone mass is building from our youth to sex maturity and it is stabilized around 30 years of age. After 40th birthday our body loose 0.5 to 1 percent of bone mass every year. In men the cause of osteoporosis is often alcohol while loss of testosterones (main men sex hormone) can also provoke osteoporosis.
Age is just one risk factor for osteoporosis. Family history, chronic liver illnesses, digestions disorders, some hormones disorders as hyperthyroidism or Cushing's disease (syndrome caused by hyperactive adrenal gland). Additional factors that contribute to osteoporosis are low height, unbalanced menstrual cycles, anorexia, long term exercise that affects menstrual cycle, exaggeration in drinking alcohol and smoking.
Medical examination is the first step in stopping and healing of osteoporosis. The doctor will first asses patient's habits like nutrition, smoking, alcohol, drugs taking. Then he will see are there any problem with adrenal gland or colons, he will ask do a patient has a diabetes or someone in family with osteoporosis. In some, in order to get full picture, the doctor will do a blood tests. From those test the level of vitamin D and calcium can be determined, as well as levels of thyroid and adrenal gland hormones (T3, T4, TSH and cortisol).
However, "the golden rule" and the only reliable way to prove osteoporosis is measuring bone mineral density (BMD). It is painless and non-invasive procedure that measures the amount of calcium in regions of the bones. These methods compare the numerical density of the bone with empirical data bases of bone density to determine whether a patient has osteoporosis, and often, to what degree.
It is possible to prevent osteoporosis and if it is present to be successfully treated. The first step in osteoporosis prevention is cure with hormones. Antiresorptive drugs include bisphosphonates, hormone replacement therapy, SERMs, and calcitonin. Bisphosphonates are the standard drugs used for osteoporosis. These drugs slow the rate of bone remodelling, but they cannot rebuild bone. The primary anabolic drug is low-dose parathyroid hormone (PTH). It is proving to be very effective in restoring bone and preventing fractions. PTH is still relatively new, and long-term effects are still unknown.
Exercise is very important for slowing the progression of osteoporosis. Moderate exercise, more than three days a week for more than a total of 90 minutes a week, reduces the risk for osteoporosis in both older men and women. Older patients, those at risk or those who have serious medical conditions, should talk to their doctors before they start to exercise.
Children should begin to exercise before adolescence, since bone mass increases during puberty and reaches its peak between ages 20 and 30. Regular brisk long walks improve bone density and mobility and may relieve osteoarthritic pain. High-impact exercises can be very bone-protective in young and middle-aged adults. Most older people should avoid high-impact aerobic exercises which increase the risk for osteoporotic fractures.
Low-impact exercises that improve concentration, balance, and strength, particularly yoga and tai chi, have been found to decrease the risk of falling. In one study, tai chi reduced the risk of falling by almost half. ■
The bone mass is building from our youth to sex maturity and it is stabilized around 30 years of age. After 40th birthday our body loose 0.5 to 1 percent of bone mass every year. In men the cause of osteoporosis is often alcohol while loss of testosterones (main men sex hormone) can also provoke osteoporosis.