Recognise the onset of osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a lifestyle disease that affects bony tissues, making them thinner, less dense and more susceptible to fractures. This disease remains asymptomatic and is often diagnosed at a very late stage with advanced symptoms.

Over 36 million people suffer from osteoporosis in India alone. One in every two women over the age of 50 is likely to have an osteoporosis-related fracture in her life. That’s twice the rate of fractures in men. Above all, 75 per cent of all cases of hip osteoporosis affect women.

The bone tissue is in a continuous process of molding, breaking down and rebuilding, which ensures that bones remain healthy and elastic. During the time of human growth, the rate of bone formation exceeds that of bone loss. The reverse is true as a person ages. Bones attain maximum strength (peak bone mass) between the age of 20 and 30. Factors that affect bone elasticity and peak bone mass include physical activity, diet, calcium intake and genetics.

After the age of 40 or 50, bone loss generally increases and bone mass is lost rapidly. Bone mineral density in later years is determined by the bone mass acquired during young age and the subsequent rate of bone loss.

You may not know you have osteoporosis until you have some serious complications like frequent broken bones or fractures, low back pain or a hunched back. You may also see a loss in height over time because osteoporosis can lead to vertebral collapse. These problems generally occur after lot of calcium has already been lost from the bones.

Osteoporosis occurs if you lose too much bone calcium or haven’t created enough bone to begin with.

There are some non-modifiable risk factors: women are more prone to have osteoporosis than men; people with small, thin bony frames are more vulnerable to it; the older you are, the more susceptible you are and so on. But there are also some modifiable risk factors:

• Not getting sufficient calcium and/or vitamin D
• Sedentary lifestyle (not getting enough exercise)
• Smoking, tobacco and alcohol consumption
• Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa
• Hormone imbalances, such as low estrogen or testosterone, or too much thyroid hormone
• Certain medications, such as the long-term use of corticosteroids.

A commonly used test that measures bone density is called a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. It measures density of the bones in the hips, spine and wrist.

Treatment starts with changes in diet and lifestyle. Get more calcium, either through food, drink or by way of calcium supplements. A vitamin D supplement, which helps the body process calcium, may also be recommended.

There is strong evidence that exercises like aerobic and strength/resistance activities are effective in reducing bone loss and from osteoporosis developing. Consistent data from randomised controlled trials suggests that exercise can help in reversing almost 1 per cent of bone loss per year in both pre- and post-menopausal women.

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