Osteoporosis: who gets it?

All of us will get osteoporosis if we live long enough. Since none of us have a crystal ball to predict our life expectancy, we should all do our best to ensure good strong bones and prevent falls no matter how long we live.

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All of us will get osteoporosis if we live long enough. Since none of us have a crystal ball to predict our life expectancy, we should all do our best to ensure good strong bones and prevent falls no matter how long we live.

Osteoporosis is extremely common. It is estimated that at least 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men will break a bone in their lifetime if they have osteoporosis. Osteoporosis causes 70% to 90% of the 30,000 hip fractures that occur every year in Canada. Men typically have a higher peak bone mass, so it takes longer for bone loss to reach a level where the bones fracture. Nevertheless, as men increasingly live past age 80, osteoporosis is going to become a more common problem for men.

Research has identified a number of risks that make it more likely for one individual over another to get osteoporosis.

If several of these risk factors apply to you, you may want to check with your doctor about how to prevent osteoporosis.

Risk factors for osteoporosis we cannot change:

  • genetics (family history)
  • female sex (osteoporosis affects women more than men)
  • age (even if we keep saying we are 39, our bone mass decreases with age)

Lifestyle risk factors for osteoporosis we can change:

  • low dietary calcium and vitamin D
  • smoking
  • excess alcohol use (more than 3 drinks per day)
  • excessive emotional stress
  • possible excess caffeine
  • weight loss greater than 10% since age 25

Medical conditions and diseases that increase risk of osteoporosis:

  • neurological disorders (e.g. Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis)
  • malabsorption syndromes (e.g. Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis)
  • thyroid disease (overactive thyroid or excess thyroid supplements)
  • long-term synthetic glucocorticoid (e.g. prednisone, dexamethasone) use
  • anticonvulsants (seizure medications)
  • liver or kidney disease

Medical conditions in women:

  • estrogen deficiency (surgical removal of ovary)
  • early menopause (before age 45)
  • exercise-induced absence of menstrual periods (seen in high performance athletes)

Medical conditions in men:

  • testosterone deficiency (gonadal or testicular failure) measured by an early morning testosterone level (blood test)

If you find that a number of these risks apply to you, you may want to think about making some simple changes in lifestyle, doing a test for osteoporosis or even starting medications that are available.

The risk factors of family history, female sex, and advancing age are powerful predictors of osteoporosis.

If you have these risks, then a bone density test can more accurately predict if osteoporosis is present.

Your other risk factors for osteoporosis should be assessed as well. Each added risk factor contributes towards the suspicion of osteoporosis. One or more risk factors might be reason enough to proceed to a bone density test.

All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2023. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Learn-About-Osteoporosis