About Osteoporosis
What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disease in which the density and quality of bone are reduced, leading to weakness of the skeleton and increased risk of fracture, particularly of the spine, wrist, hip, pelvis and upper arm. Osteoporosis and associated fractures are an important cause of mortality and morbidity.
It is estimated that only one out of three vertebral fractures come to clinical attention. Women who develop a vertebral fracture are at substantial risk for additional fracture within the next year.
In women over 45, osteoporosis accounts for more days spent in hospital than many other diseases, including diabetes, myocardial infarction and breast cancer.
How does Juvent help increase bone density?
Although exercise is strongly advocated for numerous health benefits, it is not always practiced by those who need it most. The Juvent signal delivers stimulation to muscle fibers without any strenuous effort on the part of the user — simply standing on the platform for 20 minutes a day provides maximum benefit.
The most common complication associated with osteoporosis includes bone fractures, which may simply be an inconvenience or may cause serious independence issues for elderly patients. Bones which support the patient’s weight such as spine, leg and hip bones are the most freq
uently fractured bones in a patient with osteoporosis. Over time, the bone loss can become debilitating, as might the fractures associated with the disease. Compression fractures (fractures which require no injury but break because the pressure of the patient’s weight is more than the bone can bear, even in thin women) can prove to be extraordinarily painful and can limit mobility.
Video: IOF - Osteoporosis "The Silent Epidemic"
Osteoporosis Frequently Asked Questions
Who Needs a Bone Mineral Density Test?
Anyone at any age, male or female with one or more of the risk factors for osteoporosis should have a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan. A DXA scan is an X-ray which is analyzed to determine bone density. It is a simple and painless procedure using an extremely low dose of radiation. It is short (about 15 minutes), accurate and is carried out with the person lying fully clothed on a padded examination table. The most common areas to be scanned are the lumbar spine and hips.
The earlier osteoporosis is identified, the more that can be done to prevent it from progressing. For example, it is useful for women in their early to late 30s to have a baseline scan for comparison in their later years.
Who is at risk for osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis risk factors include:
- In women, if you were over 16 years of age before your first menstrual period, missed periods for more than 6 months and were not pregnant, had an early menopause or had a hysterectomy (with oophrectomy)
- In men, low levels of the male hormone testosterone (hypogonadism)
- Low body weight, history of an eating disorder (ie, anorexia, bulimia)
- Psychological stress
- Long term use of corticosteroid tablets (such as asthma medication)
- Maternal history of hip fracture
- Malabsorption, inflammatory bowel disease (Coeliac disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis) and gastric surgery
- Lack of exercise, long-term immobility or excessive exercise
- Heavy drinking
- Smoking
Your physician can assess your history against the risk factors above and determine whether you should have a DXA scan to measure your bone density.
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