Osteoporosis, literally "perforated bone" or as it is known in society, "bone resorption" is an important public health problem that increases the risk of fracture because it causes the bone to become weak and brittle. Especially in postmenopausal (postmenopausal) women, a rapid loss of bone mass is observed due to the decrease in estrogen hormone, which causes osteoporosis in some people. As stated above, the most important aspect of this is that it leads to an increased risk of bone fractures. These fractures can develop easily and can sometimes become life-threatening or render people incapable of their work unaided, as with femur fractures, for example. Below you can find general information about osteoporosis seen after menopause.
Osteoporosis is a whole body (systemic) bone problem that causes the bone to become very perforated due to changes in its smallest structure (micro-architecture), decrease in strength and increase the risk of bone fracture.
No. Our bones are a dynamic tissue with continuous processes of construction and destruction. In general, the production is more until the age of 25-30. This period is accepted as the peak age when our bone structure reaches the maximum mass. After this peak age, especially after the age of 40, the balance of bone formation and destruction shifts to the side of destruction, so there is a gradual decrease in bone mass.
Basically, osteoporosis is divided into two according to the cause:
No. Osteoporosis can occur in both men and women. However, bone density reduction due to rapid hormone loss after menopause (an average of 5% loss per year) is typical in women. Bone mass loss in men of similar age is between 1-3% per year.
Risks for osteoporosis can be listed as follows:
Aging, Female gender, Early menopause, Fracture due to osteoporosis in the family (especially femur fracture in the mother), Being very weak, Presence of previous osteoporosis-related fractures, Some medications (cortisone, etc.), Some diseases (eg, rheumatoid arthritis), Smoking , Alcohol.
The diagnosis of osteoporosis is most reliably made with Bone Density (BMD) Measurement, especially using the DEXA (Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry) instrument. Although it has been suggested to investigate substances related to bone formation and destruction in blood and urine tests, these tests are not in general use.
Especially the chain bone (vertebrae), thigh bone (femur) and wrist bones are the most risky bones in this regard. An important finding with research on this subject is the following; In relatively less elderly people, in any fall, the wrist is extended primarily for protective purposes, and wrist fractures are therefore more common. However, especially by the age of 70-75, hip fractures are more common due to the weakening of reflexes and falling directly on the hip without being able to extend the hand.
Yup. In this area, osteoporosis is tried to be treated by using drugs that both reduce bone destruction and increase its production. However, an important part of the treatment is exercise and working the muscles; because movements against gravity (eg walking, lifting weights, etc.) stimulate bone formation, and our bones are protected by increasing our muscle strength and strengthening our balance.
The best thing to do is to eat a balanced, regular diet (vitamin D and calcium) and exercise regularly. Especially until the age of 25-30, the higher the bone density we reach with our bone formation, the less the effect will be, even if there is bone loss. Apart from this, in order to protect our bone health, especially after menopause, a balanced diet with adequate vitamin D, calcium and regular exercises should be continued.
