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Osteoporosis Introduction |
Osteoporosis
is a condition marked by a
substantial decrease in bone mineral density. This is a progressive
disease causes skeletal weakness and
usually begins around the age
of 40. The rate of bone resorption
(breakdown) is greater than the rate
of bone formation as we age, thereby
leading to a decrease in overall
bone density.
This age related
trend begins in women
post-menopause, and in men, after 60 years
of age. This is, in large
part, due to the normal decreases in
boney formations, but is also the
result of hormonal change. As the loss in bone
density further decline, individuals
become susceptible to fractures. These fractures can occur with
little or no trauma. [1]
Osteoporosis affects the
bones of the spine, hips, and ribs
with the greatest regularity. [2]
Osteoporosis
affects both men and women
indiscriminately. It can affect
any race or ethnicity, though
Caucasian and Asian races are at an
increased risk for onset.
Although the average onset of the
disease is approximately 40 years of age,
it can begin in the 20's. Risk factors for the development of
osteoporosis include; smoking, family
history, menopause, lean body type,
absence of exercise, low calcium
intake, nulliparity (no children),
hormone disregulation, long-term
drug use, and heavy alcohol
consumption. [3]
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It is estimated
that between 10 and 20 million
people in the US have osteoporosis,
with another 20-30 million
suffering from low bone mass.
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55% of Americans
over the age of 50 have
osteoporosis. 80% of
these individuals are women.
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20% of Caucasian
and Asian women, 10% of Hispanic
women, and 5% of African American
women over the age of 50 have
osteoporosis.
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20% of individuals
with osteoporosis are men, 7% of
whom are Caucasian and Asian men. 4% of African
American men, and 3% of Hispanic
men over the age of 50 have
osteoporosis. [4]
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1 in 2 women and 1
in 4 men over 50 years of age will
have a fracture related to
osteoporosis.
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There are about 1.5
million fractures caused by osteoporosis annually.
Of these, some 300,000 are
hip fractures, 700,000 are
vertebral fractures, and 250,000
are wrist fractures. An
additional 300,000
fractures at other sites within
the body. [5]
Osteoporosis
can go without any symptoms for some
time. Eventually, pain may be felt in
the bones, particularly in the
spine. Fracture of the vertebrae can
also develop without trauma and
may result in localized pain and tenderness. The pain is usually acute onset and
does not radiate. Weight bearing
will usually aggravate pain. Overtime,
some individuals with osteoporosis will develop an
abnormal
curvature of the spine, resulting in
what's known as Dowager's
hump. [6]
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Osteoporosis |
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