Bone loss-Osteoporosis disease

Osteoporosis is a silent disease. You normally don't know it until something like a fracture occurs. In reality, your bones have been loosing strength for years. Osteoporosis is a condition wherein the bones of a person become fragile and porous. Bones become porous due to a depletion of calcium that leads to the bone becoming brittle. If not prevented, or if left untreated, a case of osteoporosis may progress painlessly until one day when the bone breaks. The bones that usually fracture are the hipbones, spine and wrist. The inside of a bone consists of a strong mesh of protein and minerals

that are constantly renewed by bone turnover. In this process, old and worn-out bones are broken down to be absorbed by the body while new bone tissue is created from fresh protein and minerals. In young children and men, more new bone is created than is broken down. This is how bones become denser and bigger, and is also the reason for the lesser occurrence of osteoporosis in men. Bones are strongest when the peak bone mass is reached, which is usually around the mid-twenties. This remains for about ten years, until about 35, when bone loss begins to overtake creation as a normal aging process. However, in cases of osteoporosis, this process happens more quickly, to lead to premature bone weakness.

What Causes Osteoporosis?

Our skeletons are made up of a smooth, tough outer layer of dense bone, a spongier mid section and a soft core of marrow where new cells are made to rebuild our bones. Our bones are constantly changing because our bodies depend on a steady supply of calcium to function properly. When we don’t get enough calcium from our regular diet our bodies break down and rebuild bone to meet our needs. This is called “bone remodeling.”

Many things can influence bone remodeling, like injury, illness, medications, exercise, diet, hormonal changes, smoking, heavy drinking and of course the normal aging process. When the body requires more calcium than we are able to consume, or if we aren’t able to store the calcium we consume adequately it is leached from the spongy mid layer of our bones. They gradually lose their density making them weak and porous, and more prone to fractures. This is osteoporosis.

Most of our bone mass is established before the age of 30, and after about age 35, as a part of the normal aging process, our bodies begin to breakdown our bone faster than we are able to rebuild it. The natural decline in hormonal production is another contributing factor. When women reach menopause and their ovaries stop producing estrogen and bone loss accelerates. In men a reduction in the hormone testosterone also encourages bone loss.

So what can you do?

- Eating a diet rich in calcium throughout life is important. What does that mean? Low fat dairy food, canned fish with soft bones such as salmon, dark green leafy vegetables and calcium fortified foods. - If you need a supplement, the current recommendations are for people over 50 to have about 1200mg per day between diet and supplementation. Studies on women with osteoporosis in nursing homes have been shown to have a reduction of fractures just from calcium and vitamin D without other interventions. - Vitamin D is necessary for your body to absorb the calcium. Being out in the sun for 20 minutes every day is usually sufficient. Foods that are high in vitamin D include eggs, fatty fish, cereals and fortified milk. Many calcium supplements and multivitamins have vitamin D as well. Recommendations include 400 IU of Vitamin D per day if you are less than 70 years of age, and 600 IU if you are over 70.

- Exercise! Once again the "E" word presents itself. Weight bearing exercise actually prevents the loss of bone. The stress on bone when you walk, play tennis, jog or dance actually stimulates your bone to increase its density. Not only that, but your improved muscle strength will protect you if you should fall. Once again, the current recommendation for exercise is 30 minutes of activity daily.
- Some medications can increase your risk for developing osteoporosis. For example steroids, some anti-seizure medications, some cancer medications, and long term use of Depo-Provera (birth control). If you take too much thyroid medication, or your thyroid glad is overactive your bone could be stimulated to break down faster. Talk with your provider to see if any modifications can be made.
- What else? Smoking, carbonated beverages and excessive alcohol have all been implicated in increasing you risk for osteoporosis(bone loss). Consider eliminating, or at least reducing these habits from your life.