Osteopenia and Osteoporosis - Making Sense
Gain a Healthy Perspective on Increasing Bone Density
Apr 14, 2009
Most of you reading this article may not believe that your bones could be weak. Keep reading as you will come to know that osteopenia and osteoporosis are just as silent as we learned high pressure was in the series last month on hypertension. If you are male, also keep reading, as you are not exempt from this ultimately debilitating disease. Think of your bones as the building blocks of a continued active and independent lifestyle. It's hard to imagine, but we must, that amongst all the diseases out there, we now have to add bone disease to the list.
Active lifestyles, proper nutrition, and stress management often work synergetically with preventing and often curing not just one disease, but a myriad of diseases and ailments that plague us. Because of all the overlap in disease causes, and cures, we have few reasons to feel overwhelmed.
Let it be our goal to get back to the basics. Let us use exercise, nutrition, and stress management to our advantage, so that in the event of a concern such as pre -hypertension, pre- diabetes, or low bone loss (ostepenia), we need only tweak and target a few lifestyle issues more aggressively to greatly increase our chance of preventing that disease ultimately and carrying on with the life we have always lived.
What is Osteoporosis and Osteopenia?
Osteoporosis is a common disease of the bones. It is characterized by very low bone mass and deterioration of the microstructure of the bone. Osteopenia is characterized by low, but not very low bone mass and can be viewed in much the same way as pre-hypertension, pre-diabetes, and borderline high cholesterol in defining an intermediate risk group.
With osteporosis there are few symptoms or signs, and in this way is not unlike high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol. Losing height occurs, but mostly goes unnoticed. A dowager's hump may develop, but likewise it goes unnoticed and is often mistakenly viewed as simply a sign of aging.
Osteopenia, which is a precursor to osteoporosis similarly has no warning signs. Sometimes you will fracture a bone in this stage signaling to most doctors that a bone density test should be administered. Ironically, consider yourself lucky if you have learned that you have osteopenia as you will soon learn that osteopenia unlike osteoporosis ( except in rare cases) can be reversed with the correct exercises, nutritional supplements, and if warranted prescription drugs.
Why is it Important to Prevent Osteoporosis and Osteopenia?
Preventing these two conditions is very important because the fractures which usually occur in the hips and back are not only painful, but are debilitating and disfiguring. More importantly however, and what we need to be aware of, is that hip and back fractures often typify a downward spiral in health. It's not so much the fracture itself as it is the mental and physical health complications that ensue from the lack of inactivity.
Additionally complicating matters is that the bone loss from osteoporosis occurs over many years and often people are not aware they have it until they are sitting, standing, coughing, hugging someone, or lifting groceries and are suddenly in a lot of pain. This pain is due to a fracture ( break in the bone) caused by the weakening bones. Further, after a first fracture, one is at a higher risk for more fractures. These fractures can cause one to live with chronic pain, disability, and at its worst, a lifestyle that is robbed of independence.
Who May Get Osteoporosis?
According to the United States Public Health Service, more than half of all women and one-fifth of all men over the age of 50 will suffer an osteoporotic bone fracture some time in their life. Unfortunately, according to the office of the Surgeon General, many won't even know they have osteoporosis because it usually has no symptoms. Surprisingly, a woman's risk for hip fracture (one in six) now far surpasses her chance of developing breast cancer (one in nine) (van Staa et al., 2001). Fractures are most common in the hip, spine and wrist; however, anyone with low bone mass is more prone to all types of fractures.
Risk Factors for Osteoporosis
Family history: Osteoporosis seems to run in families
Sex: Women are four times more likely than men to get osteoporosis, but men also suffer from osteoporosis
Age: Increase with age. Women over fifty have the greatest risk due to decreased estrogen. In men there is a correlation between low testosterone and increased likelihood of osteoporosis
Bone structure and body weight: Petite women and thin men and women have greatest risk of developing osteoporosis
Smokers: Are at increased risk
Medications: Those taking various long term medications such as steroids, thyroid medications, anticonvulsants, antacids, and other medications
Additionally, sedentary lifestyles, calcium and vitamin D deficiencies, early menopause in women before age 40, low hormonal levels in both sexes, as well as various medical conditions, can all contribute to low bone mass furthering the likelihood of osteoporotic bone fractures.
Screening for Osteoporosis and Osteopenia
Typically, many doctors wait until women are in their 50's and 60's before their doctors recommend a bone mineral density test (BMD) or bone density scan. And many doctors do not typically offer it as an option for their male patients. What we need to know is that the earlier we can detect low bone mass before it gets to the osteoporosis stage, the better we can treat it through exercise, diet, supplements, and in cases where it is warranted, prescribed medication.
