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Osteoporosis - Are You at Risk?
This leaflet
is written by the National Osteoporosis Society. Contact details are at the end.
What can
you do about osteoporosis?
Fragile
bones, loss of height and fractures used to be accepted as a normal part of
growing older but we know that people can protect their bones from this disease.
If you don't have osteoporosis you need to know how to avoid it and if you are a
sufferer you need to find out about treatment. There is no certain cure for
osteoporosis but it is possible to prevent and treat it in many cases. The
National Osteoporosis Society's booklets offer advice on lifestyle, diet and
medication which will protect your bones.
Who is at
risk?
All men and
women are at risk of developing this disease and everyone should take action to
protect their skeleton. Regular weight-bearing exercise, a calcium rich diet and
not smoking are important for bone health throughout life and all women should
consider taking hormone replacement therapy to stop bone loss after the
menopause.
There are
certain indicators which may help doctors to identify people most at risk.
Remember,
whatever your age, it is never too late to do something about osteoporosis. The
following checklist shows some things that may put you particularly at risk of
this disease.
OSTEOPOROSIS CHECKLIST FOR THOSE AT HIGHEST RISK
The
following place you at high risk of osteoporosis:
 |
In
women, early menopause (before 45 years old). This causes early loss of
oestrogen
because the ovaries stop working. |
|
In
women, early hysterectomy (before normal menopause age of 50). Early loss
of
oestrogen is likely and certain if the ovaries are removed. |
|
Long
term use of high dose corticosteroids. Do not stop taking them, they may
be
essential to treat another illness, but your doctor may be able to adjust your
dose to
compensate for bone loss. |
|
In
women, irregular or infrequent periods during your lifetime. This can
happen
naturally or be caused by over-exercising, as in many ballerinas and athletes,
or over-
dieting (anorexia nervosa or bulimia). This results in low oestrogen levels
similar to
menopause, regardless of age. |
If you have
one or more of these high risk factors obtain more information from the National
Osteoporosis Society right away and ask your family doctor how to avoid
suffering osteoporosis in the future. A bone density scan can confirm your risk.
Other
factors which contribute towards osteoporosis are:
|
Heavy
smoking (or passive smoking). This can damage bone building cells and
cause
early menopause. |
|
Heavy
drinking. More than 14 units per week for women and 21 units per week for
men
interferes with bone building. Alcohol abuse destroys bone. |
|
Immobility. The bed-bound, wheelchair-bound or the elderly who move around
very little
are more at risk. Bones need exercise to remain strong. |
|
Lack of
sunshine. People who spend most of their lives indoors, or heavily covered
when
they go out, seldom get enough exposure to sunlight to make their own vitamin
D. As a
bone hardener vitamin D is essential for bone health. |
|
Low
calcium intake. Those who avoid dairy products or who are over-dieting. |
|
Other
diseases. Cushing's syndrome, intestinal diseases, liver and thyroid
problems can all
affect bone building cells. |
|
Family
history of osteoporosis or fractures. A family history of osteoporosis
puts you
more at risk of having fractures in later life. If a parent or grandparent
broke a hip, or other bone, had a curved spine or lost height. |
If any of
the above apply to you, obtain more information from the National Osteoporosis
Society then consult your family doctor about osteoporosis.
The
following may indicate bone problems which already exist:
|
Fracture
after a minor bump or fall. For example a broken wrist, ankle or hip - bones
should withstand small knocks.
|
|
Loss of
height. This may be due to compression fractures of the small bones in the
spine.
|
|
Back pain.
This can be a result of fractures in the spine. However, back pain is a very
common problem and has a wide variety of causes and is often not due to
osteoporosis.
|
This
checklist provides indicators only. Osteoporosis is very common and sometimes
hard to diagnose and predict. Even if these indicators do not apply to you, you
may still be at risk from osteoporosis. The only conclusive way to find out if
you have osteoporosis is to have your bone density measured. X-ray can detect
fractures but cannot measure bone strength and density. If you talk to your
family doctor about osteoporosis you may be referred to a bone specialist who
has access to equipment which can safely, quickly and accurately measure your
bone density, with a Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) machine. This test
is available on the NHS to all men and women at high risk of osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis
causes bones to become so porous and fragile that they break very easily. This
is a disease which affects people of all ages and is surprisingly common,
particularly after the age of 50. In the UK 1 in 3 women and 1 in 12 men suffer
fractures, commonly of the wrist, spine and hip, as a result of osteoporosis.
Fractures result in considerable pain, disability and loss of independence.
Osteoporosis can often cause loss of height and make the spine curve over to
form a 'Dowagers Hump'. Sufferers may occasionally loose as much as five inches
or more in height. Following hip fracture, approximately 1 in 5 patients will
die within six months and half will be unable to live independently afterwards.
These statistics are shocking, particularly because in most cases osteoporosis
can be effectively treated and prevented.
For
further help and information contact
The
National Osteoporosis Society, PO Box 10, Radstock, Bath, BA3 3YB.
Please enclose an SAE.
Helpline tel: 01761 472721
Web:
www.nos.org.uk