All About Osteoporosis: What you Need to Know

What is osteoporosis? Who is vulnerable to this disease? What are the risks to women who have this debilitating bone disease? How can someone tell that she or he has the disease? Is this disease sexist and in what age group is it most likely to appear? What are the symptoms? Can osteoporosis be prevented and if not, how can it be treated and managed?

Osteoporosis is a debilitating disease which affects millions of Americans each year, both men and women are affected. By the end of this article one will know why this disease develops and how one can avoid it or at least minimize the painful affect of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a disease of low bone mass and deterioration of living bone tissue. This low bone mass leads to fragile bones and increased fractures, "especially of the hip, spine, and wrist, although any bone can be affected." (www.nof.org, 2006). When someone develops this disease not only does her or his bone density decrease but a "variety of non-collagenous proteins in the bone is altered." (Wikipedia.com, 2006). Women are more susceptible to developing osteoporosis because their bones are already less dense than a man's.

What are the Risk Factors?

The factors of increased susceptibility for developing osteoporosis are: Current low bone mass, being a female, being slim and/or small boned, older aged, having anorexia, estrogen deficient resulting from menopause - even if it is surgically induced, low calcium, vitamin D deficient, certain medications and treatments like chemotherapy, low testosterone in males, sedentary or inactive living, cigarette smoking, using alcohol excessively, excessive use of soda's, and finally being Caucasian. (www.nof.org, 2006). Heredity is worth mentioning here as well. The chances of developing osteoporosis are more likely if a family member has or had it, especially if that family member is a parent (1^st degree family member).

Who can develop this disease?