Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis translated literally means "porous bones" and is a disease which effects 1 in 3 women and 1 in 12 men.
In the normal skeleton new bone cells are constantly being produced to replace the old ones. This is normally a balanced process called bone turnover but in osteoporosis the rate of bone cell growth is reduced and weakening of the bone density occurs which in turn increases the risk of fracture.
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Healthy Normal Bone |
Osteoporotic Bone |
People at risk of being affected by osteoporosis often have a strong family history however some of the following factors may also increase the risk:
- Women who have experienced an early menopause or have undergone a hysterectomy particularly where one or more ovary has been removed
- Over-exercising or over-dieting to the extent that periods become less frequent or even absent
- Deficiency of the male sex hormone Testosterone (in men)
- Long term high doses of oral cortico-steroid treatment
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Prolonged periods of non weight bearing due to immobilisation
Prevention
Although genetics play a large role in determining the strength of the skeleton, there are many lifestyle changes that can be made to improve the bone density. During childhood, adolescence and young adulthood, bone cells are being produced rapidly and bone strength is at its greatest. Lifestyle changes should begin in childhood to maximise bone density and in later life to maintain it.
What can we do to help ourselves?
- Eat and drink a healthy well-balanced diet – rich in calcium. A daily intake of 700mg – 800mg for adults. Vitamin D is needed to aid the body’s absorption of calcium.
- Participate in regular exercise especially weight bearing exercise such as running, aerobics, tennis. Do not exercise excessively. 3 x per week for a 20 minute session is adequate.
- If you smoke, give up as smoking has a toxic effect on bone and may cause an earlier menopause in women.
- Reduce alcohol consumption to below the national recommended units (weekly units of 28 for men and 21 for women). Excessive consumption of alcohol reduces new bone cell growth.
For more information on osteoporosis visit the National Osteoporosis website at: www.nos.org.uk
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Appointments
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020 7628 3575 or use the booking form |
