Osteoporosis: how to recognise and treat it

By Cristiano Antonino On Feb 12, 2023

Osteoporosis is called a silent disease because its evolution is almost asymptomatic. However, to speak of a disease is incorrect, as it is more of a condition that occurs in at-risk individuals

The effect of this condition is a reduction in bone tissue, thus an increased susceptibility to fractures, especially those in the spine, wrists and hips.

In order to diagnose osteoporosis, it is necessary to perform a test, MOC (computerised bone mineralometry), which precisely identifies the state of bone health.

Osteoporosis, an insidious problem

One of the last cases in which we intervened was that of a 72-year-old man who fortunately lived with his daughter.

The woman contacted us alarmed at 11 p.m. on Sunday, because her father had slipped in the house and could no longer walk, also complaining of severe pain in his hip depending on the position he assumed.

Our medical officer therefore went to the house and carried out an examination.

At first inspection, it appeared to be a fracture of the femur.

Fortunately, the case turned out to be a positive one, and the man underwent prosthesis surgery and was subsequently tested for bone condition.

Clearly, as was easy to guess, the man had a fairly serious state of osteoporosis.

What is osteoporosis

As we said before, osteoporosis is a condition.

Many patients come to our Rome doctor’s office complaining of a fall, often falls at home, and the fear of having broken a bone, particularly the wrist and femur, as in the case just described.

The condition of osteoporosis is characterised by a reduction in bone strength, thus increasing the possibility of incurring fractures even from trivial falls or even by making small efforts, such as lifting a weight.

We have said that osteoporosis is a condition in which bone strength decreases.

This is characterised by the mass, hence quantity, and quality of the bone.

Although long ago it was a common belief that osteoporosis was a typical problem of ageing, it has now been discovered that it is not only this factor that affects bone strength, but also other conditions that occur especially during adolescence.

Bone quality changes

Bone quality changes significantly during the course of life.

Bones are made up of living tissue, including collagen and calcium phosphate, the mineral that makes bones hard.

During the course of life, this structure is continually renewed, new bone tissue is deposited and old tissue is removed.

As the years go by, however, the amount of bone that is renewed is less and less than that which is removed, so the density and quality of the tissue is no longer optimal.

Peak density occurs around the age of 30 and it is very important to create all the conditions for this peak to be within the right parameters, and here we begin to discover the causes of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis, what are the causes

Leaving aside old age, which we have already covered, the other causes of osteoporosis are to be found in childhood and adolescence.

If bone development in these two developmental stages is not optimal, one will not reach a good peak bone mass density as an adult.

The greater the accumulated bone reserve, the lower the likelihood of osteoporosis as an adult.

Other causes of this condition include faster than normal bone resorption, slower growth, both factors.

In women, the most frequent cause is the onset of menopause.

In fact, during this period, the body produces less oestrogen and consequently bone mass is reduced.

The same phenomenon occurs if the ovaries are removed or during chemo and radio treatments.

Other factors to consider are diet and taking certain medications.

As far as diet is concerned, it has been noted that osteoporosis is more frequent in individuals who have low calcium and vitamin D intake.

Long-term intake of certain drugs, such as anti-epileptics and glucocorticoids, also affect bone mass.

Anorexia nervosa, alcoholism, smoking, are other causes to be monitored, as is the condition that there are frequent fractures in the family, hence a certain familiarity of the disorder.

Osteoporosis treatment

Since it is a mostly asymptomatic disorder, the first advice is to undergo regular specialist medical examinations when you are over 50/60 years old, to keep yourself under control and prevent the onset of the disorder.

A real cure, unfortunately, does not exist; in fact, osteoporosis is an irreversible process, but one that can easily be kept under control with certain measures.

The first thing to do is to follow a careful diet aimed at the introduction of vitamin D, which must be supplemented as it is scarce in food, and calcium.

A consultation with your doctor may be helpful to find out whether you need to supplement with food or supplements.

Regular physical activity should be practised, and even older people should still move around because being bedridden reduces bone mass.

There are also drugs and supplements that can slow down the bone loss process or increase bone density.

Securing the home, especially if there are people at risk, is certainly a good way to prevent falls and avoid fractures.

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