Osteoporosis Facts in Brief

A Quick Look at Osteo

1. Decreased height and curvature of the spine
2. Reduced bone density and strength
3. Also called silent disease, porous bone disease or brittle bone disease
4. If symptoms exist, will usually be lower back pain
5. Increased risk of fractures
6. Bones most likely to break:
   • wrists
   • ribs
   • hip
   • spinal vertebrae

Risk Factors

1. Sex: Women are more likely to develop the disease, but men are affected too.
2. Older Age
3. Family History
4. Small Build
5. Physical Inactivity
6. Early Menopause (in women)
7. Low levels of testosterone (in men)
8. Taking corticosteroids, thyroid medications, anticoagulants or anticonvulsants
9. Smoking
10. Excessive Alcohol
11. Excessive Caffeine
12. Prior Fractures

Prevention

1. Increase dietary calcium; additional calcium if needed.
2. Avoid excessive alcohol, caffeine.
3. Do not smoke.
4. Regular weight-bearing exercise such as walking, tennis, etc.
5. Some exposure to sunlight for the vitamin D or vitamin D supplement.
6. Hormone Replacement for women as recommended by their physician.
7. Make sure your living environment is safe--i.e. rugs.

Diagnosis

1. Diagnosis usually not made until after a fracture in the past.
2. Bone loss can now be measured with bone densitometry and other tests.
3. Both men and women in the high risk categories should check with their physician.

The Danger

1. Osteoporosis is the cause of over 1.3 million fractures annually.
2. A woman's lifetime risk of hip fracture is equal to the combined risk of developing breast, uterine and ovarian cancer.
3. Half of the people who suffer a hip fracture never fully recover.
4. Up to 20% more patients who suffer hip fractures die within one year of the fracture than those of a similar age who haven't suffered a hip fracture.
5. More than 25 million Americans have osteoporosis. Four out of five of those are women, so 1 out of the 5 are men.

Treatment

1. The FDA has not approved any drug for the treatment of osteoporosis in men, but a study for men has begun.
2. There are drugs which help with bone mass loss which have been approved by the FDA for women.
3. Both men and women should consult with their physicians for treatment.


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