Timeless Women

Osteoporosis is a disease that affects the strength of bones, making them more susceptible to breaks or fractures. In most instances, fractures affect the hip, spine and wrist.

• What happens in healthy bones?

  
  Bone is alive and constantly being renewed. In healthy bones, the old bone is removed by cells called ‘osteoclasts’ and replaced with new bone by bone-building cells called ‘osteoblasts’. This is a well-balanced process called bone turnover.

• What does osteoporosis do to bones?

  In people with osteoporosis, old bone is destroyed faster than it is replaced, so bones become thinner and weaker. The result is that the bone becomes more prone to breaking after even just a minor fall.

  Bones are made up of a thick outer shell known as ‘cortical bone’ and a strong inner mesh of ‘trabecular bone’ which looks like a honeycomb. Osteoporosis causes this mesh to thin, making the bone more fragile and likely to break.

• What can be done about osteoporosis?

  The good news is that osteoporosis is now a largely treatable disease and, with a combination of lifestyle changes and appropriate medical treatment, osteoporosis can be controlled and the risk of life-threatening fractures can be reduced.

• What are the symptoms?

  Osteoporosis has no obvious symptoms other than a fracture when the bone is already significantly weakened. Unfortunately, the first apparent sign of osteoporosis is often after a broken bone, which is why the condition is also known as the “silent epidemic” – the majority of women do not realize they have osteoporosis until they experience a break or fracture.

  However, loss of height with a gradual curvature of the spine may also be an indicator of osteoporosis. Another symptom could be pain, as some vertebras in the spine collapse and initially this may be felt as severe back pain.

• Who can get it?

  Although osteoporosis affects both men and women, it is more common in postmenopausal women. This is because estrogen is a hormone which plays an important role for maintaining strong bones, and during the menopause levels of estrogen fall very fast.

  Genetic factors also play a large part in determining whether an individual is at risk of osteoporosis, but nutrition and exercise can affect the rate of bone loss and have a key role in determining how well our bodies are able to replace old bone.

If you are concerned about osteoporosis, make an appointment to discuss it with your doctor. Use the Doctor Conversation Tips to assist you when discussing osteoporosis with your doctor.