Osteoporosis: Know Your Risks
Osteoporosis is a disease that
weakens bones to the point that they become fragile and break easily. Women and
men who have it most often break bones in the hip, spine, and wrist, but any
bone can be affected, according to the National Institutes of Health. There are
no symptoms of osteoporosis until a fracture occurs. That is why it is often
called “the silent disease.”
Certain factors can put you at risk for developing
osteoporosis. However, while you can’t change some of the factors, others are
preventable. Here then are the risk factors, preventable and not, compiled from
the Mayo Clinic and National Institutes of Health Web sites:
Risk factors you can’t change
-
Your gender. Fractures from osteoporosis are about twice as
common in women as they are in men. Women start out with lower bone mass, tend
to live longer, and experience a sudden drop in estrogen at menopause that
accelerates bone loss. Men who have low levels of the male hormone testosterone
also are at increased risk. -
Age. The older you get, the higher your risk, because your
bones become weaker as you age. -
Race. Whites and Asians have the highest risk.
-
Family history. The disease runs in families.
-
Frame size. Men and women who are exceptionally thin or have
small body frames tend to have higher risk because they may have less bone mass
to draw from as they age. -
Exposure to estrogen. The greater a woman’s lifetime exposure
to estrogen, the lower her risk of osteoporosis. For example, the risk is lower
for women who have a late menopause or began menstruating at an
earlier-than-average age. The risk is higher for women who had infrequent
menstrual periods or an early menopause (before age 45). -
Breast cancer. Postmenopausal women who have had breast
cancer are at increased risk, especially if they were treated with chemotherapy
or aromatase inhibitors such as anastrozole and letrozole, which suppress
estrogen. Tamoxifen, however, may reduce the risk of fractures. -
Immobility due to a medical condition.
-
History of a previous fracture.
Risk factors you can change
-
Excess soda consumption. The link between osteoporosis and
caffeinated sodas isn't clear, but caffeine may interfere with calcium
absorption and its diuretic effect may increase mineral loss, according to the
Mayo Clinic. In addition, the phosphoric acid in soda may contribute to bone
loss by changing the acid balance in your blood. -
Smoking. Tobacco use contributes to weak bones.
-
Eating disorders. Women and men with anorexia nervosa or
bulimia are at higher risk of lower bone density in their lower backs and hips. -
Diet. You need a diet rich in calcium, vitamin D, protein,
and other vitamins and minerals. -
Sedentary lifestyle. Exercise throughout life is important,
but you can increase your bone density at any age. -
Chronic alcoholism. Excess consumption reduces bone formation
and interferes with the body’s ability to absorb calcium. -
Depression. People who experience serious depression have
increased rates of bone loss. -
Malabsorption of calcium due to medical conditions and
procedures: stomach surgery (gastrectomy), Crohn’s disease, celiac disease,
vitamin D deficiency, anorexia nervosa, and Cushing’s disease. -
Medications (ask your doctor to recommend drugs that can help
prevent bone loss from these medications and from other medical issues):- Corticosteroids. Long-term use of prednisone,
cortisone, prednisolone, and dexamethasone is damaging to bone. These
medications are common treatments for chronic conditions, such as asthma,
rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. - Thyroid hormone. Too much can cause bone loss.
You get too much when your thyroid is overactive (hyperthyroidism) or because
you take excess amounts of thyroid hormone medication to treat an underactive
thyroid (hypothyroidism). - Other medications. Bone loss can be caused by
long-term use of the blood-thinning medication heparin, the cancer treatment
drug methotrexate, some anti-seizure medications, diuretics, and
aluminum-containing antacids.
- Corticosteroids. Long-term use of prednisone,
Published February 25, 2008
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