How to Prevent Osteoporosis?

Introduction

Osteoporosis (porous bone) is a disorder characterized by loss of bone mass and bone structural deterioration that leads to bone fragility and increased risk of fractures in the hip, spine and wrist.

Risk factors

Certain factors are involved in the development of osteoporosis. Many people with osteoporosis have several of these risk factors, but some may develop osteoporosis without any risk factor identified. People can change their lifestyle to reduce risk, but not all risk factors for osteoporosis can be changed.

Among the factors that increase the chance of developing osteoporosis and can not be changed are: female gender, increasing age, short stature, white and Asian, and heredity.

There are, however the factors that can be modified as:

• Sex hormones: abnormal absence of menstrual periods (amenorrhea) and low estrogen levels (menopause) in women and low testosterone levels in men;
• Anorexia;
• Food low in calcium and vitamin D;
• Use of certain medications such as glucocorticoids or some anticonvulsants;
• Sedentary lifestyle or long bed;
• Smoking;
• Excessive use of alcohol.

How do I know if I have osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a silent disease, because the loss of bone mass occurs without the appearance of symptoms. People may not know they have osteoporosis until their bones become so fragile that a small fall causes a hip fracture or a vertebra of the spine.

From 65 is required to detect a routine osteoporosis. Some experts recommend that you start the search for osteoporosis from the age of 50. And for women with no risk factors, such as short stature, one must start early, performing examinations annually from the menopause. The detection of osteoporosis is made through the medical examination and a test called bone densitometry. The X-ray is used for the identification of the fracture, but is not efficient for the early diagnosis of the disease.

Prevention

Osteoporosis is a disease we can prevent. Some measures may reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis and a person in a person who has osteoporosis, bones become weaker. And the sooner these measures are taken the more effective prevention.

Calcium intake

An inadequate calcium intake throughout life is one factor that contributes significantly to the development of osteoporosis. Many people consume less than half the amount of calcium needed for bone health and low intake of calcium is associated with low bone mass, rapid bone loss and increased fracture incidence.

The main sources of calcium are dairy products (cheese and yogurt), dark green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, kale, etc.), almonds, fish and foods fortified with calcium.

Importantly, the calcium needs change throughout life. The need for calcium is greater during childhood and adolescence when the skeleton is growing rapidly, and during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The postmenopausal women and elderly men should also consume more calcium due to an inadequate amount of intake of vitamin D, which is required for intestinal calcium absorption, and reduced efficiency of the bones to absorb calcium and other nutrients.

The recommended amounts of calcium should be consumed per day are: 1,000 mg of calcium per day for persons between 31 and 50 years, and 1,200 mg for people over 50 years. To achieve these quantities, older people should eat foods rich in calcium. A glass of milk has 300 mg of calcium, a cup of yogurt has about 400 mg and a big slice of cheese has 200 mg.

Sometimes, to achieve the recommended amounts are needed for supplementation of calcium, which can be made with calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. However, one must be careful with the use of supplementation, because the ingestion of more than 2,000 mg of calcium per day can increase the risk of kidney problems.

Vitamin D

The vitamin is important in calcium absorption in the intestine and bone health. It is synthesized by exposing the skin to sunlight. Although many people are able to get enough vitamin D through diet , the vitamin D production decreases in older people, people confined to the interior of the house and during the winter, these people may need vitamin D supplementation to ensure for daily 400-800 IU of vitamin D. Are not recommended massive doses of vitamin D, more than 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day can damage the liver and may even decrease bone mass.

Physical exercise

Like muscles, bones become stronger with physical activities. The best exercises for bones are weight bearing exercise that forces the person to work against gravity. These exercises include walking , running, climbing stairs, weight training and dance.

Use of drugs

The use of some medications can lead to increased bone loss, as the long-term use of glucocorticoids, some medications used to treat seizures, some medications used to treat endometriosis, excessive use of antacids containing aluminum, certain treatments cancer, and excessive thyroid hormone. The use of medication prescribed by doctors, however, should not be interrupted by yourself, as this can bring great harm to health. Must be talking to the doctor the use of measures to reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can be identified by some physicians to prevent, in some cases, and also for treatment. But it is necessary to assess the risk of endometrial cancer and breast cancer in patients, because the use of HRT may increase the risk of developing these cancers.

There are also several drugs available for the prevention of osteoporosis such as alendronate sodium, risedronate sodium, raloxifene and calcitonins. The choice of treatment, however, always require the medical monitoring.

Prevention of falls

Falls are a major concern for people with osteoporosis. Falls increase the risk of bone fractures of the hip, wrist, spine or other parts of the skeleton. It is important to be aware of any physical changes, such as visual impairment, diseases that impair physical functioning and use of certain medications such as sedatives and antidepressants, which can affect balance and gait.

Some simple steps can help prevent fractures, and wear shoes with rubber soles, avoid mats, paying attention to the steps and leaning on railing, using adequate lighting in bathrooms and maintain non-slip floors in the bathroom and in the box.

Stop smoking

Women who smoke have lower levels of estrogen compared with those who do not smoke and can develop osteoporosis earlier. The postmenopausal women who smoke need higher doses of hormone replacement therapy and may have more side effects; smokers also absorb less calcium from their food.

Decrease your alcohol intake

Regular consumption of 2 to 3 servings per day of alcohol can be harmful to the skeleton, even in young people. In addition, people who consume large amounts of alcohol are more likely to have bone loss and fractures due to malnutrition and increased risk of falls.