What is osteoporosis and how to prevent serious fractures in old age
Health / / December 19, 2019
Age-related changes are inevitable, but there are preventative measures that will help keep bones strong for as long as possible.
Kseniya Belova
Rheumatologist, Head of the Yaroslavl regional diagnostic and treatment center for osteoporosis and osteoarthritis Gause YAO "Clinical Hospital of Emergency Medical Care. N. IN. Solovyov. "
What is osteoporosis
Osteoporosis - a disease in which bone strength suffered due to fractures that occur at minor injury. In a normal adult human bones preserved the balance between the work of osteoclasts - cells that destroy bone tissue - and osteoblasts - cells forming it. Disorders of bone metabolism leads to acceleration of bone loss, poor bone quality, as a consequence of its reduced strength and increased brittleness. Under such conditions, even a fall from a low height can cause serious fractureIt leads to immobility, as in the case of hip fracture - and death.
The fact that conservative treatment, which is still very common in Russia, is reduced to the area of fracture fixation and bed rest. But the bones of an elderly person grow together very slowly, and the lack of movement for a long time leads to serious complications: pressure ulcers, pneumonia, thromboembolism, various infections.
modern statisticsStrategy of patients with complications OSTEOPOROSIS says that among the causes of death of people over 45 years of osteoporosis in third place after cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
Those who develop the disease
Osteoporosis - a disease which affects primarily the elderly. Since hormones play a very important role in bone health, most often the disease occurs in postmenopausal women - a form of osteoporosis, called postmenopausal.
Although men suffer from osteoporosis less frequently than women, but among them is a very common disease. It occurs in one in fiveFACTS AND STATISTICS men over 50 years in the world and every fourthOsteoporosis and osteopenia in the frequency of the RF according to densitometry (two localization) among residents 50 years and older - in Russia. This unfavorable situation in our country is associated with the fact that men often have bad habits and affects a large number of severe concomitant diseases - these are additional risk factors osteoporosis. Furthermore, the mortality after receipt fracture in men is higher by about 30%.
In young people, osteoporosis is very rare. Typically, in this case, become a cause other diseases affecting the bone tissue, and then developing the so-called secondary osteoporosis.
What influences the development of osteoporosis
Not always doctors can identify one reason that led to the disease. Factors for osteoporosis can be many:
- The presence already suffering a low-energy fracture. So called injury caused a fall from his own height and below, as well as coughing, sneezing, sudden movement. After each incident fracture risk increases furtherOsteoporosis - Incidence and burden 2-3. Therefore, we must be very careful about their bones and monitored by a doctor to prevent new injury.
- Genetic predisposition. If one of the parents was a hip fracture due to osteoporosis, then the person is at risk.
- Low peak bone mass. At the age of 25-30 years of human bones reach maximum strength. The higher the density and quality of bone in this period, the lower the risk of osteoporosis in later life. Calculate bone density by using a special survey - dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.
- Concomitant diseases that affect the bone. For example, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, insufficient function gonads (hypogonadism), cancer and genetic diseases, kidney disease.
- Admission of glucocorticoid hormones. Glucocorticoids are used to treat rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, acute lymphoblastic and myeloid leukemia, infectious mononucleosis, certain skin and other diseases. Admission of the drugs can cause osteoporosis, glucocorticoid - one of the most severe forms of the disease. It can lead to a compression fracture of the vertebrae, which poses a risk to the spinal cord.
- Bad habits. Alcohol and tobacco negatively It affects the whole organism, including violate bone turnover process.
- Low weight. The body mass index less than 18 kg / m² - a factor for osteoporosis. In addition, the negative effect on bone health may affect adherence to a strict diet, such as the restriction or denial of reception protein from dairy products.
- Calcium deficiency. With a lack of this substance in the body produces parathyroid hormone, which releases calcium from the bones, making it less dense.
- Deficiency of vitamin D. Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. It is produced in the skin upon exposure to sunlight. As in the northern latitudes the sun is inactive during the winter, you can take vitamin D tablets or drops.
How to diagnose and treat osteoporosis
The only clinical sign of osteoporosis - a low-energy fracture. Depending on its severity trauma surgeon appoints a certain type of treatment. Hip fracture is one of the most dangerous consequences of osteoporosis and without surgical intervention leads to death in about half Vorontsova T. N., A. Bogopolskii S., A. Black J., S. Shevchenko B. Structure of patients with fractures of the proximal femur and the calculation of the average annual need for emergency surgical treatment. Traumatology and orthopedics Russia, 2016 cases in Russia.
Following successful treatment, the doctor will be the task of bone injury recovery. To do this, today there are a number of drugs that increase bone density and reduces the risk of fractures.
What measures exist to prevent osteoporosis
Osteoporosis and fracture appearance can be avoided if the advance concerned about the state of his bone. Your doctor can refer you to the X-ray examination (densitometry) to assess bone density or laboratory tests to assess the performance of calcium-phosphorus metabolism and other important parameters.
In addition to the timely referral to a specialist, there are other preventive measures:
- physiotherapy;
- complete diet satisfying the body's need for calcium, vitamin D and protein;
- sun exposure, providing vitamin D production;
- rejection of bad habits;
- and correction control comorbidities.
For independent risk assessment of fractures caused by osteoporosis, there is a calculator FRAX for calculating the 10-year risk of such injuries. However, it is worth remembering that this calculator can not diagnose the disease, unlike a doctor.
In addition, the website of the Russian Association on Osteoporosis has serviceWhich will help to calculate whether you're getting enough calcium from food. Its deficiency can lead to osteoporosis, not only, but also to other serious diseases.
see also🧐
- How to quit smoking over the weekend
- How to recognize a deficiency of vitamin D and what to do
- Product 10, in which calcium is greater than curd