Osteoporosis, you are not alone: your allies are calcium, vitamin D and physical activity

By Cristiano Antonino On Jun 17, 2023

A female disease, but not to be neglected for ‘him’ too: osteoporosis

Pain frightens us and is perhaps the aspect of the disease that we perceive most as a threat.

In reality, this sensation, however annoying, is the warning light, which nature has provided us with, to let us know that something is wrong with our body.

When the mechanism goes haywire, and that bell does not ring, the risk of discovering the ‘flaw’ too late is just around the corner, and this is a bit like what happens in the case of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis, a silent disease

In its early stage it does not cause any pain but, in the meantime, the bones become brittle and, therefore, more prone to fractures, even spontaneous ones.

If early intervention or inadequate treatment is not taken, osteoporosis can progress, leading to bone fractures that occur most typically in the femur, vertebrae and wrists.

Women have a 4 times higher risk of suffering from this disease and it is estimated that 4 million women in Italy suffer from it.

Until the age of 30, bone tissue builds up and then, as happens in the normal ageing process, the bones begin to wear out.

In women, bone loss accelerates after menopause, when the ovaries stop producing oestrogen, the hormones that protect against bone loss.

In men, it is more difficult to indicate a precise age because there is no transition time as obvious as the menopause.

Osteoporosis risk factors

It is advisable to have one’s bones ‘checked up’ early, perhaps as early as the age of 50, especially if one or more risk factors are present.

The list is long: those who have at least one parent who has suffered from osteoporosis, those who do not consume enough milk and dairy products, those who have had fractures as a result of minor trauma.

Also: those who suffer from rheumatic diseases or diseases that can lead to malabsorption such as coeliac disease, those who have often used cortisone or drugs that cause hypogonadism, those who suffer from hypercalciuria, i.e. who excrete too much calcium in their urine, those who have been affected by breast cancer and take an aromatase inhibitor (a drug that reduces the risk of recurrence).

Also at high risk are heavy smokers and those who ‘drink easily’: inordinate alcohol consumption weakens our bones.

Diagnosis and prevention

To measure the bone’s mineral density and thus the risk of fracture, MOC, Computised Bone Mineralometry, is used, considered to date the main diagnostic tool for osteoporosis.

In order to try to prevent osteoporosis, it is important to eat a diet rich in calcium, take vitamin D, which helps calcium to attach to bones, limit consumption of foods of animal origin, exercise, reduce alcohol intake and stop smoking.

The importance of calcium and vitamin D

Vitamin D is produced by the skin through sun exposure but certain factors limit its production.

These include age, with equal exposure the elderly person produces about 30% less vitamin D; obesity; skin colouring; having protective clothing and creams; glass that absorbs all UVB radiation: so being in the office, even with the curtains open, has no effect on vitamin D synthesis; air pollution (some components can absorb ultraviolet radiation).

Thus, even at our latitudes, most of us do not get enough exposure.

Between May and September, one should expose oneself at least 30 minutes a day.

The areas of the body to be exposed are the face, arms and legs.

It is not necessary to stand still, even walking will ‘catch’ the rays.

This vitamin can also be taken with food, although few contain a considerable amount, among them fish oil, salmon, herring and oily fish in general.

It is easier to get an adequate amount of calcium by eating milk and dairy products, but also other food sources such as almonds, broccoli, spinach and soya.

To get the right amount of calcium, it is best to choose milk and dairy products, which contain it in a more bioavailable form than plant foods, due to the better ratio of optimal calcium to phosphorus, the absence of anti-nutrients (such as phytic acid) and the presence of vitamin D, which facilitates its absorption.

To know if there is a vitamin D deficiency, it is sufficient to do a blood test.

Vitamin D dosage is a good starting point for constructing an effective treatment scheme.

The value that measures the level of the reserve in the blood is called ’25-OH vitain D’.

One should be concerned if it is below 30g/ml.

Osteoporosis, in motion from a young age

Physical activity plays an important role already at a young age, because it contributes to the formation of new bone tissue and, particularly in women, allows them to reach the age of menopause with a ‘stronger’ skeleton, quick reflexes, balance and coordination that reduce the risk of falls.

Physical activity is especially beneficial at the points where the bone is stressed by movement and that pressure, linked to gravity and muscle contractions, is a powerful stimulus for bone formation.

This is why ‘weight-bearing’ physical activities such as walking, running, gymnastics, but also dancing, are preferable to weightless sports such as swimming, for example.

Moving regularly

Walking and running, in particular, are movements that allow prolonged exercise but, for the patient to benefit from them, they should be practised for at least one hour a day.

This type of activity is not recommended for people with other osteo-articular diseases, which can affect the hips and knees.

For them, cycling or exercise bikes are better.

It should also be borne in mind that the positive effect, in terms of bone mass, obtained with a sporting activity gradually disappears with discontinuation, which is why it is necessary to continue with regularity.

Medications

When, on the other hand, osteoporosis is already present, one must resort to the use of drugs that act either by stimulating the gastrointestinal absorption of calcium or by promoting the calcium deposition action directly on the bone.

Osteoarthrosis: Definition, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment

Osteochondrosis: Definition, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment

Osteoporosis: How To Recognise And Treat It

About Osteoporosis: What Is A Bone Mineral Density Test?

Osteoporosis, What Are The Suspicious Symptoms?

Osteoporosis: Definition, Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment

Back Pain: Is It Really A Medical Emergency?

Osteogenesis Imperfecta: Definition, Symptoms, Nursing And Medical Treatment

Exercise Addiction: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment

Rotator Cuff Injury: What Does It Mean?

Dislocations: What Are They?

Tendon Injuries: What They Are And Why They Occur