Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis literally means brittle or porous bones. This is considered a disease of the skeletal system where bones are fragile because bone mass is generally low and architectural deterioration happens in the bone tissue. The net effect is an increased susceptibility to fractures, most especially in the spine, hips, and forearm. However, it should be emphasized that almost any bone in the body can be affected by the disease.

Osteoporosis afflicts millions of individuals worldwide. It has been estimated that one in three women and one in five men over age 50 years in the United States have osteoporosis. There are around 300 million elderly age 65 years and beyond suffering from osteoporosis in year 2000. By year 2050, there will be an estimated 1555 million individuals who will suffer from the disease. The projected total number of hip fractures around the world will reach 6.26 million in 2050, almost 4-fold the number of cases in 1950. It is of much more pressing concern when half the predicted number of patients with hip fractures will actually come from Asia.

While osteoporosis is often thought of as disease of the older people, it can strike at any age. There are certain established risk factors that put an individual at higher risk for osteoporosis compared to the general population. These factors include low body weight, sedentary lifestyle, menopausal status, history of fractures after age 45 years, family history of fracture, advanced age, current cigarette smoking status, alcohol intake of > 2 units per day, inflammatory arthritis, glucocorticoid use, and some other medical conditions that lead to secondary bone loss.

The health care cost of the condition does not only entail quite a considerable amount of expenses, ie. hospitalization fees, surgery, rehabilitation, professional fees, it also lowers the quality of life of the individual. Also, once an individual suffered from hip fracture, there is a 4-fold increase chance to have a second one within a year. It has been known as a “silent disease” whereby patients do not complain of anything, until a fracture sets in. Occasionally, there might be a noticeable height loss or a curved back/stooped posture when some of the vertebrae have actually collapsed causing significant amount of back pain or discomfort.

There are ways where experts offer early diagnosis of osteoporosis before an actual fracture sets in. Individuals at risk can undergo a bone densitometry examination (DXA) not only for diagnosis but also to assess his/her fracture risk and determine rate of bone loss as well as monitor treatment response.

The best way to treat osteoporosis is prevention. An average woman achieves almost 98% of her bone mass between age 30 to 40 years. Building strong bones during childhood and adolescence stage can be considered our best defense against osteoporosis in later life. The following steps are considered optimal ways in achieving optimal bone health:

• Balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D
• Weight bearing and resistance training exercises
• Healthy lifestyle away from smoking and alcohol abuse
• Talking or consulting with a healthcare professional about bone health
• Bone density examination and medications when appropriate

Although there are currently no available cure for osteoporosis, there are available effective treatment options approved by Bureau of Food and Drugs Administration for the prevention and/or treatment of osteoporosis. These are classified as either anti-resorptives or bone forming agents. These drugs are best discussed with the experts who can explain which one is the best option for certain type of individual. Not all patients with osteoporosis are treated similarly.

There are 8 common myths about osteoporosis:

• Osteoporosis is an inevitable part of aging.
• Osteoporosis is only a disease of the elderly.
• If I have osteoporosis, I would know it.
• Once I have osteoporosis, there is nothing I can do about it.
• Osteoporosis strikes only the Caucasian women.
• Osteoporosis is not very common.
• Osteoporosis is not a serious condition.
• Treating osteoporosis is not costly.

For further inquiries, please contact OSPFI office at ' 7252133, or email us at: ospfi_secretariat@yahoo.com.ph

Source:

Dr. Julie Li-Yu
Osteoporosis Society of the Philippines Foundation, Inc.