Osteoporosis Causes
Osteoporosis is the most common type of bone disease. There are currently an estimated
10 million Americans suffering from osteoporosis, as well as another 18 million who have
low bone mass, or osteopenia.
Osteoporosis Causes - description of Osteoporosis Causes
Osteoporosis occurs when the body fails to form enough new bone, or when too much old
bone is reabsorbed by the body, or both.
Calcium and phosphate are two minerals that are essential for normal bone formation.
Throughout youth, the body uses these minerals to produce bones. If calcium intake is not
sufficient, or if the body does not absorb enough calcium from the diet, bone production
and bone tissues may suffer.
As people age, calcium and phosphate may be reabsorbed back into the body from the bones,
which makes the bone tissue weaker. Both situations can result in brittle, fragile bones
that are subject to fractures, even in the absence of trauma.
Usually, the loss occurs gradually over years. Many times, a person will sustain a
fracture before becoming aware that the disease is present. By the time this occurs, the
disease is in its advanced stages and the damage is profound.
The leading causes are a drop in estrogen in women at the time of menopause, and a drop in
testosterone in men. Women, especially those over the age of 50, get osteoporosis more
often than men.
Leading causes of Osteoporosis
Other causes include corticosteroid excess from Cushing's syndrome, hyperthyroidism,
hyperparathyroidism, being confined to a bed, and bone cancers.
Researchers estimate that about 20% of American women over the age of 50 have
osteoporosis. In addition, another 30% of them have osteopenia, which is abnormally low
bone density that may eventually deteriorate into osteoporosis, if not treated.
About half of all women over the age of 50 will suffer a fracture of the hip, wrist, or
vertebra.
Women who are white, especially those with a family history of osteoporosis, have a
greater risk of developing osteoporosis. Other risk factors include smoking, eating
disorders, low body weight, low amount of calcium in the diet, heavy alcohol consumption,
early menopause, absence of menstrual periods (amenorrhea), and use of certain
medications, such as steroids and anticonvulsants
Risk factors that can cause Osteoporosis
- Age. Osteoporosis is more likely as people grow older and their bones lose tissue.
- Gender. Women are more likely to have osteoporosis because they are smaller and so start
out with less bone. They also lose bone tissue more rapidly as they age. While women
commonly lose 30-50% of their bone mass over their lifetimes, men lose only 20-33% of
theirs.
- Race. Caucasian and Asian women are most at risk for the disease, but African American
and Hispanic women can get it too.
- Figure type. Women with small bones and those who are thin are more liable to have
osteoporosis.
- Early menopause. Women who stop menstruating early because of heredity, surgery or lots
of physical exercise may lose large amounts of bone tissue early in life. Conditions such
as anorexia and bulimia may also lead to early menopause and osteoporosis.
- Lifestyle. People who smoke or drink too much, or don't get enough exercise have an
increased chance of getting osteoporosis.
- Diet. Those who don't get enough calcium or protein may be more likely to have
osteoporosis. That's why people who constantly diet are more prone to the disease.
Osteoporosis is a major cause of bone fractures and breaks
Osteoporosis is often called the "silent" disease, because bone loss occurs
without symptoms. People often don't know they have the disease until a bone breaks,
frequently in a minor fall that wouldn't normally cause a fracture. A common occurrence is
compression fractures of the spine. These can happen even after a seemingly normal
activity, such as bending or twisting to pick up a light object. The fractures can cause
severe back pain, but sometimes they go unnoticed--either way, the vertebrae collapse down
on themselves, and the person actually loses height. The hunchback appearance of many
elderly women, sometimes called "dowager's" hump or "widow's" hump, is
due to this effect of osteoporosis on the vertebrae |
