Osteoporosis
Press Release:
Hanover Family Practice Associates Installs
Advanced Bone Densitometry System for Detecting
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a silent disease of the bones
that makes them weak and prone to fracture. Bone is
living tissue that is in a constant state of
regeneration, as old bone is removed and replaced
by new bone. 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.
Increasing the amount of calcium you consume
daily can decrease your chances of fracturing a
bone due to osteoporosis. Ten million people in the
United States already have osteoporosis and 18
million more have low bone mass (osteopenia) and
are at an increased risk for developing
osteoporosis. The bones of a person with
osteoporosis have become thin and fragile and are
more likely to fracture. In the US, osteoporosis is
responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures
annually, 700,000 of them in the vertebrae of the
spine and 300,000 in hips. Other common fractures
occur in wrists, forearms, feet and toes.
Some risk factors for osteoporosis that you
can't change include: being a woman, getting older,
being Caucasian or Asian, and having a family
history of fractures. Also, some risk factors that
you can change include: low estrogen levels in
women or low testosterone levels in men, anorexia,
a lifetime diet low in calcium and vitamin D, use
of medications such as steroids you take by mouth
or some anticonvulsants, inactive lifestyle or
prolonged bed rest, cigarette smoking, and
excessive use of alcohol.
Depending on your age, an appropriate calcium
intake falls between 1000 and 1300 mg a day. If you
have difficulty getting enough calcium from the
foods you eat, you may take a calcium supplement to
make up the difference. Indeed, you won't have to
worry about getting enough calcium, vitamin D and
vitamin K if you eat a balanced diet of fruits,
vegetables - especially leafy green ones - grains,
protein, and low-fat dairy products. In addition,
vitamin D is needed for the body to absorb calcium.
Without enough vitamin D, you will be unable to
absorb calcium from the foods you eat, and your
body will have to take calcium from your bones.
Don't let that happen! Exercise is also important
for good bone health. If you exercise regularly in
childhood and adolescence, you are more likely to
reach your peak bone density than those who are
inactive. The best exercise for your bones is
weight-bearing exercise such as walking, dancing,
jogging, stair-climbing, racquet sports and hiking.
Building strong bones, especially before the age
of 30, can be the best defense against developing
osteoporosis, and a healthy lifestyle can be
critically important for keeping bones strong.
Osteoporosis is largely preventable for most
people. Prevention of this disease is very
important because, while there are treatments for
osteoporosis, there is currently no cure.
Indeed, there are many medications that are used
to treat osteoporosis, some of which include
bisphosphonates and calcitonin. Bisphosphonates
inhibit the breakdown and removal of bone with
minimum side effects and are widely used for the
prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. It is the
first choice for the treatment of osteoporosis, and
one of the first-line drugs for prevention.
Estrogen-like medications, known as selective
estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), affect some
of the same receptors as estrogen. These agents,
such as raloxifene and tamoxifen, may provide some
protection against menopausal bone loss while
having the potential to block other unwanted
estrogen effects, such as those that may lead to
breast cancer. Also, calcitonin is a hormone
produced by the thyroid gland that, together with
parathyroid hormone, helps to regulate calcium
concentrations in the body. Synthetic preparations
of the hormone are sometimes recommended as a
treatment for osteoporosis. Calcitonin may be
administered via nasal spray or injection.
For more information on available medication,
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