Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis: According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, it's a skeletal disorder that mainly occurs in older age, characterized by reduced bone strength, which puts individuals at an increased risk of fractures.

In other words, osteoporosis involves the porousness or reduction of bone mass that happens in the bone metabolism of middle-aged and elderly men and women. This occurs due to the inability of bone-forming cells (osteoblasts) to create new bone, leading to thin and spongy bones. This condition can be caused by factors such as calcium or protein deficiencies in the diet, reduced calcium absorption, or hormonal disruptions.

 

Symptoms

Unlike many chronic diseases that have multiple symptoms and signs, osteoporosis is a silent disease with no symptoms until a fracture occurs. The most common fractures happen in the vertebrae, hips, and other bones. Fractures resulting from osteoporosis are those that typically wouldn’t occur in healthy individuals under similar circumstances, and these fractures are considered fragility fractures.

Hip fractures occur after a fall, but two-thirds of vertebral fractures happen quietly and may even occur with minimal stress, like lifting an object, sneezing, or bending.

 

Diagnosis

Osteoporosis is usually diagnosed following an acute clinical fracture through bone density testing.

X-rays can reveal vertebral compression fractures, but signs of bone mass reduction on X-rays are not evident until 30% of bone mass has been lost. X-ray images are not a reliable indicator for diagnosing osteoporosis because the penetration of too little or too much radiation can affect the quality of the film; therefore, X-rays are not good guides for detecting osteoporosis, and the diagnosis is often confirmed through bone mineral density testing.

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Treatment

• Bisphosphonates
• Denosumab
• Estrogen agonists – antagonists
• Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
• Calcitonin
• Parathyroid hormone
• Investigational treatments under review
• Spinal reconstructive surgery (kyphoplasty)
• Recently, Swedish researchers found that growth hormone can reduce the effects of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. This study, which lasted for 10 years, shows that using growth hormone early in menopause might lessen osteoporosis symptoms and prevent bone fractures.