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Osteoporosis - What Is It?

The word 'osteoporosis' means, literally, 'porous bone' and is sometimes known as the ‘silent disease' because people affected are unaware that they have it. It is a very common disease in which bones do not regenerate themselves properly, causing them to become thin and weak and therefore more likely to break very easily. These broken bones, also known as fractures, occur typically in the

•  hip, - will almost always require hospitalization and major surgery

•  spine or vertebral – may have serious consequences, including loss of height, severe back pain, and deformity,

•  and wrist.

The bones are thickest and strongest in early adult life. From around the age of 35, more bone cells are lost than are replaced. This causes the bone to become thinner and weaker. People who exercise when they are young, and who remain active into old age, are less likely to get osteoporosis, because bones stay strong by being used.

Approximately three million people in the UK have osteoporosis, and there are over 200,000 fractures every year as a result.

All of us are at risk of developing osteoporosis as we get older, which is why elderly people are more likely to break bones when they fall. But there are some people who are more at risk of osteoporosis than others. These are:

• People who have taken steroids - over a long period of time.
• Women who have Oestrogen deficiency – due to having an early menopause, or a hysterectomy (before the age of 45) where one or both ovaries have been removed, are at greater risk.
• Men who have low levels of testosterone – a male hormone that helps to keep the bones healthy.
• People who have lack of exercise – due to having an illness or disability which makes exercise difficult, will be more prone to losing calcium from the bones.
• People who have a poor diet – especially if they don't have enough vitamin D or calcium.
• People who are heavy smokers - tobacco lowers' the oestrogen level in women and may cause early menopause. In men, smoking lowers testosterone activity and this can weaken the bones.
• People who are heavy drinkers - a high alcohol intake reduces the ability of the body's cells to make bone.
• People who have a family history of Osteoporosis - there are some inherited factors which affect the development of bone.
• People who have digestive disorders that affect absorption of nutrients - such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
• People who have or have had eating disorders – will result in having thin bones.

The onset of Osteoporosis is categorized into: -

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