Osteoporosis is a progressive disease in which bones lose their density and weaken, eventually becoming more likely to break. A common disease worldwide as well as nationally, osteoporosis affects around three million people in the UK alone.2
Osteoporosis usually develops in older age, when the body is less capable of replacing old bone cells with new ones. However, since symptoms appear gradually and only become noticeable when the disease is at an advanced stage, most people only find out that they have osteoporosis when one of their bones break, as a result of a quite minor trauma. These types of breaks are called “fragility fractures”.
Normally, bones in your body keep their strength from a continuous dual process in which your body breaks down old bone while simultaneously replacing it with new bone tissue. This function involves a range of proteins and minerals that include calcium, phosphorous, and amino acids. These substances are obtained through calcium and protein-rich foods that are absorbed into the bloodstream after digestion, and in turn absorbed into the bone tissue.2
The amount of minerals absorbed into the bones during this process is controlled by sex hormones, namely oestrogen in women and testosterone in men. During and after menopause, women’s oestrogen levels decline suddenly. In comparison, men of the same age do not experience the same sudden decline in testosterone. Because of this fact, osteoporosis is more common in woman than in men: in the UK, the disease affects around 20% of women between the age of 60 and 69.2
The long term effects of osteoporosis include fractures and a consequent loss of mobility. The three most common areas in which osteoporosis-related fractures occur are in the hips, wrist, and spine. In the UK these osteoporosis-related fractures number around 200,000 a year.2
Osteoporosis is caused by both fixed and variable factors. Fixed factors cannot be changed, and include your sex, age, and family history of the disease. Variable factors include lifestyle elements such as your diet, how often you exercise, and whether you drink or smoke. Adopting a healthy lifestyle can help to prevent the disease, especially if you’re more at risk due to genetic considerations. Adopting the following habits at a younger age can help to prevent the disease in old age:
© 2007 LES LABORATOIRES SERVIER, an incorporated company of SERVIER. All Rights Reserved - Terms of Use
SERVIER does not sell its products over the Internet - More information
Last Updated 15/06/2011 12:17:17
Best viewed in Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, at 1024x768 resolution.
