Osteoporosis is known as “Brittle-Bone disease.” The first and most common sign of osteoporosis is a broken bone. The difficult part is that osteoporosis is hard to detect because it can happen in healthy looking individuals. The disease can often go undiagnosed until a fracture occurs. As some of the risks of osteoporosis can be avoided, some other risks cannot such as family history or medical conditions. However, being proactive about your health and exercising can help the cause.
“Osteoporosis is defined by low bone mineral density (BMD) on an X-ray bone-density scan. If a scan shows your bone density is a bit low, your diagnosis is osteopenia, or pre-osteoporosis. If your BMD is quite low, the diagnosis is osteoporosis.” (JoyBauer.com) If you have low bone density you face a higher risk of breaking a bone.
According to JoyBauers.com, “Bones also contain specialized cells that help form bone (osteoblasts) and break down bone. If your overall health is good and you eat nutritionally sound meals, a balance is maintained, for every bit of bone lost, an equal amount of bone is created.” With osteoporosis more bone is lost than formed.
There are several risk factors to osteoporosis. These risk factors consist of:
Hormonal Changes
Hormonal changes can give you a greater risk factor if levels of estrogen or testosterone levels fall. This is commonly seen in men as they age and when women go through menopause.
Cortiscosteroids
Cortiscosteroids medications are commonly used to treat illnesses such as asthma and autoimmune disorders. “But steroids seem to inhibit the bone-building activity and may also increase bone resorption. It has been estimated that up to half of all people who take steroids long-term will end up with osteoporosis.” (JoyBauer.com)
Body Weight
Weight builds bone. For example, thinner women have a greater risk of osteoporosis than heavy women.
References:
“Osteoporosis Basics.” JoyBauer.com. http://www.joybauer.com/osteoporosis/about-osteoporosis.aspx
Written by: Sharan Kaur, Rust Built, Marketing Services