|
  |
|
|
Osteoporosis
By Adge747 Parker of Healthy Answers
A silent disease. Osteoporosis is a bone condition characterised by low bone density and deterioration of bone strength, leading to bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture. It can be diagnosed by a low radiation scan, this measures bone mineral density. Osteoporosis literally means “porous bone”. It is called a silent killer disease because generally there are no symptoms of bone loss until the bones become so weak that a sudden jolt, strain or fall causes a fracture. Often however the bones are so weak that they fracture and the owner then falls. These fractures typically occur in the hip, ribs, vertebrae or wrist. People tend to associate osteoporosis with frail elderly women. This is not always the case as it can and does strike even young people. A serious health threat. The International Osteoporosis Foundation reports that “in the European Union, someone has a fracture every 30 seconds”. In the US 10 million people have osteoporosis, and a further 34 million are at risk because of low bone mass. Furthermore, the US National Institutes of Health reports that “one out of every two women and one in four men aged 50 and over, will have an osteoporosis related fracture in their lifetime”. Neither is the outlook improving. The Bulletin o f the World Health Organisation states the number of fractures resulting from osteoporosis is expected to double worldwide over the next 50 years. This projection is based on the expected increase in longevity. Still, the consequences are rather frightening. Osteoporosis has a very high rate of disability, even mortality. Almost 25% of patients aged 50 and over suffering hip fractures die as a result of medical complications within the year following a fracture. Are you at risk? Recent studies reveal that if your parents have a history of osteoporosis and fractures, the risk to you is nearly twice as great. A further risk factor is something that affects almost all of us and that is malnutrition, particularly that of the foetus, which results in poor bone density in childhood. Then of course there is the age factor, the older people get the more fragile their bones become and we tend to eat less. Certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and Cushing’s disease, may contribute to the onset of osteoporosis. Menopause in women results in a reduced production of oestrogen, these help to protect the bone mass. This is why women are four times more likely to suffer from osteoporosis. Estrogens deficiency brought on by the surgical removal of the ovaries can result in early menopause. Risk factors for osteoporosis that can be changed include eating and lifestyle habits. A diet low in calcium, magnesium and vitamin D is most certainly a contributing factor in the deterioration of the bones. An excessive salt intake increases the excretion of calcium. Excessive alcohol intake, often accompanied by poor nutrition, also contributes to bone loss. Many eating disorders such as Anorexia and Bulimia nervosa will lead to low body weight and even the absence of menstruation. This will cause the body to stop producing estrogens and lead to a weakening of the bones. An additional factor for developing osteoporosis is limited or no physical activity, smoking and passive smoking are significant factors as it can decrease bone mineral density. According to The World Health Organisation approximately 1 in 8 hip fractures are due to smoking. Studies have shown that stopping smoking reduces bone loss and fracture risk. Prevention of osteoporosis. The foundations to prevent osteoporosis are laid very early in life, in childhood and adolescence. This is when most of the bone mass is reached, approximately 90% of the total. Calcium is an essential nutrient for a strong skeleton and is stored mostly in your bones. Good sources of calcium are canned sardines (eaten with the bones) salmon, milk, yogurt, cheese and other dairy products, almonds, oatmeal, sesame seeds, tofu and dark green leafy vegetables. In order for calcium to be absorbed by the body it is essential it is accompanied by magnesium and vitamin D. we can supposedly get sufficient of this vitamin by 10 minutes exposure to the sun on the arms and face this will provide about 600 units. It can be obtained in dietary form from egg yolks, saltwater fish and liver. Emphasis is also placed on getting sufficient exercise. During childhood and adolescence, exercise helps to increase bone mass, and as we age it helps prevent the loss of bone mass. Weight bearing and resistance exercise—those in which the muscles work against gravity or other muscles without over stressing the bones or joints—are recommended. Walking, dancing and climbing stairs are simple effective exercises. Prevention can certainly do a great deal to combat this disease and you may have to make some lifestyle changes in order to maintain bone mass and increase bone strength. Most people who have fallen into a sedentary way of life may find it very difficult to change. But, those making the effort to change will reap the benefits one of which may just be avoiding this silent killer!
Health is Your Greatest Wealth! |
PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE
Healthy Answers
You can buy cheaper-You can't buy better!
www.healthyanswers.co.uk
|
|
No reactions yet.
Please login or sign up to rate this intel.
Please login or sign up to add a comment.
|
 |
|
Thank you for sharing such valuable information. Great intel!
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thank you for your kind words, so pleased you liked it and I hope it has helped you to avoid the problem.
Its interesting to note that the body absorbs only 30% of calcium form dairy products but 65% or so from leafy green vegetables and when you eat animal protein, this essentially is like pouring acid on your bones, which leaches the calcium from the bones. Western nations eat the most dairy and animal proteins and also have the highest rates of osetoperosis. Of course other factors as you mentioned are at play as well such as exercise, smoking etc. Note that people in countries like Japan and China where they eat little to no dairy products and animal proteins have virtually no osteoperosis, even though women there are small boned. Thanks for this detailed intel, great informative information.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thank you for your comments and additional information.
A very informative intel. Thank you. Here is a bit of additional information you may find interesting. Women who regularly do excessively hard physical workouts could be at risk of developing osteoporosis, eating disorders, and amenorrhea—the interruption of the menstrual cycle, reported the Brazilian newspaper Folha. Turíbio Leite de Barros Neto, coordinator of the Center of Physical and Sports Medicine at the University of São Paulo, said: “Ideally, a woman should have 10 percent more body fat than a man. In other words, she should not have less than 15 percent body fat.” If a woman has less fat than that amount, her body may have difficulty producing the hormones needed to regulate her monthly cycle and she could limit the calcium she accumulates in her bones, leading to osteoporosis, said Folha.
CONTRIBUTOR'S REPLY
Thank you for the additional information.
The copyright for this content entitled "Osteoporosis" has been specified by the contributor as:
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Details 
This content may be copied, distributed, and modified, as long as a) the original author is acknowledged with a link back to the content page, and b) if the work is modified, the result is distributed with this same license.
If you use this content according to the license specified, you must link to the following URL:
http://adge747.qondio.com/
|
|
|
This intel was contributed by adge747
|
May, 2012
2008
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2009
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2010
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2011
January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December
2012
January, February, March, April, May
|
|
Not a member yet?
Qondio is a powerful network for making it online. If you have a website to
promote, we can help.
Sign up and get in on the action.
|
|
Welcome to Qondio! Discover the awesome power this network can deliver by going to our About page. Or you could skip straight to the Sign Up form.
|
|
