Osteoporosis Is The Most Common Disease Of The Skeletal System

Osteoporosis is the most common disease of the bone and the incidence of this condition is rising. Osteoporosis is estimated to effect 3 million people in the UK. A decreasing bone density in patient, especially in those above the age of 50, leads to bones becoming weak and therefore, there is an increased likelihood of fragility fractures. This condition is preventable and treatable however, it is often left undiagnosed and therefore, has major cost implications on the NHS. (National Osteoporosis Society, 2013a)

A disease of long duration is a chronic disease. Osteoporosis is considered chronic and this paper will discuss what it means, what the risk factors and who is affected, this paper will address the symptoms to look out for and when to go to the doctor. Nutrition and what proper exercise can do to help prevent or slow down the progression caused by osteoporosis, and then the paper will list prevention and treatment options. May is osteoporosis month and this encourages free screenings for those who may have chances for osteoporosis!

As generally stated in the introduction, osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder that involves the strength and integrity of one’s bones. The WHO defines osteoporosis as, “a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low-bone mass, deterioration of bone tissue, increased bone fragility, and its susceptibly to recurrent fractures.” 2 The most important factor to take into account when addressing osteoporosis is the mass of bone, also referred to as, bone mineral density (BMD). As bone mass begins to decline, typically in the older population, specifically postmenopausal women, individuals are at an increased risk for fractures.3 As a result of this serious condition, many people are affected by morbidity, mortality, and economic difficulty.1

Osteoporosis is a large threat to the aging population. When looking at people over the age of 50 years old one in three women and one in five men are diagnosed with osteoporosis (Fisher 2011, p. 136). It used to be believed that osteoporosis was a condition that post-menopausal woman had but now we know that it is also in pre-menopausal women and men (Dave, 2013, p. 373). When someone has osteoporosis the bone mass is reduced and they have an increased risk for fractures and broken bones. Some risk factors associated with osteoporosis are age, history of trauma/fracture, low intake of calcium and vitamin D, backache, and low physical activity. It is a disease where the bone loses density. The bones need more calcium and mineral to keep

Osteoporosis is an age-related disease of the skeletal system characterized by both low bone mass and bone structural degeneration (Nunes, 2011). Understanding osteoporosis is important because it is continues to be overlooked and undertreated, causing high numbers of bone fractures each year –in the elderly, these bone fractures can be debilitating or even life threatening (Eastell, 2009). Osteoporosis manifests when an imbalance between bone resorption and bone rebuilding occurs – this is due to changes in osteoclast and osteoblast activity. I chose this topic because osteoporosis affects millions of people, and research will allow me to better understand this common yet complex, and very perilous bone disease.

Diagnostic assessment for osteoporosis includes patient’s history, laboratory tests, and measurements of BMD (Akyol, Alayli, Diren, Cengiz, & Canturk, 2008). Imaging techniques utilized in diagnosing osteoporosis are X-ray, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasonography. The two main goals of diagnostic imaging of osteoporosis are identifying the presence of osteoporosis, and quantifying the bone mass using semi-quantitative or quantitative methods (Guglielmi et al., 2011).

Osteoporosis is an intricate chronic disease that regularly goes undetected for multiple years before symptoms such as a bone fracture occur (Huether & McCance, 2012). It is a disease that compromises bone density, making it porous and is a serious health threat to aging adults (Watts, 2011). According to Huether & McCance (2012), Osteoporosis is not necessarily a result of the aging progression but it is the most common disease that affects bone, and it is most common in elderly individuals. During osteoporosis, there is a point where new bone is not being made faster than the old bone is being reabsorbed, leaving the bones to be porous and weak, with low density. Eventually, the weak bone becomes so weak that it is unable to support

As a major public health issue, osteoporosis accounts as a very common disorder. It is characterized by low bone density and deterioration of bone microarchitectural tissue leading to fragility and increased risk of fracture. Along with progressive aging of the world 's population, osteoporosis is expected to be seen with a higher incidence in the elderly. As osteoporosis has a silent course, proper methods of screening, diagnosis, and treatment are of vital importance.

Osteoporosis is an imbalance between bone loss and bone remodeling. Basically the bone density has become extremely low causing much pain and a higher chance of fractures and or bone breakages. Bone remodeling is responsible for removing mature bone tissue and replacing it with new bone tissue. This disease is more common in older adults, Asians, and Hispanics due to the lack of calcium consumption. Women are often more prone to getting osteoporosis than men because women are born with less bone mass than men. This disease often occurs if full bone mass was not achieved during the bone-building years.

Osteoporosis is a secondary aging musculoskeletal disorder that increases bone degeneration and disruption of bone mineral development. A major challenge with treating osteoporosis lies in the difficulty of diagnosing it in the early stages, because no symptoms appear until an actual complication such as a bone fracture occurs. Thus, osteoporosis is known as a “silent disease” (Cosman, 2014). During the childhood years, bones normally grow in size and strength until the person’s peak bone mass has been reached at approximately 20 years old. Around 40 to 50 years old, men and women are affected by age related decline in bone mass (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, n.d.). Women above 40 years old and of Chinese or Caucasian ethnicity are of high risk for developing osteoporosis (Wilbiks lecture, 2014). Other risk contributions to the condition include old age, female gender, small body size, low calcium and vitamin D, decrease of estrogen, lack of exercise and genetics. A slender, thin-boned tall woman is at greater risk for osteoporosis compared to a woman with a proportional amount of fat, bone and height. To prevent the development osteoporosis, people who are at high risk should take preventative measures, and this guide suggests three methods that have been supported by various researchers: 1) Supplementing calcium into diet; 2) Changing lifestyle patterns; and 3) Quitting smoking. All these preventative measures have been shown to

It is known that the amount of people who have osteoporosis are mostly women. The

Although common, osteoporosis in a disease that can be prevented to an extent with modified lifestyle choices including nutrition and exercise. When considering bone health, the

There are several risk factors for osteoporosis. These factors can include sex, race and age. Bone mass of blacks tends to be higher. The white race bone mass is lower, while Asian Americans folded down in the middle. But African-American women during aging do not tend to lose bone weakness than the white women’s. The white women are more disposed to risk of this disease. White women aged 80 or older with calcium deficiency tend to have bone fracture. But men do not lose bone mass until age 70, taking into account the lifestyle of each individual.

Osteoporosis is the disease process by which bone remodeling is altered. This alteration is when old bone is insufficiently replaced by new bone (Cosman et al, 2014). New bone growth peaks in the early 20’s and after this age bone mass is lost faster than generated. The lack of new bone replaced can lead to fractures and deformed skeletal architecture. This alteration occurs with menopause, increased age, or long term use of corticosteroids (Cosman et al, 2014)

In addition, risk factor of osteoporosis is higher in people who already have certain medical problems such as cancer and kidney or liver disease. Besides, the risk of fracture is also increase in patients with condition that the high risk of falls such as hemiplegia, lower limb dysfunction and Parkinson’s disease. It has been shown that an initial fracture is a major risk factor for a new fracture as other clinical condition’s fractures can lead to osteoporosis.