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Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to become fragile and break easily. When someone has osteoporosis, it means his/her "bank account" of bone tissue has dropped to a low level. If there is significant bone loss, even sneezing or bending over to tie a shoe can cause a bone in the spine to break. Hips, ribs and wrist bones also break easily. The fractures from osteoporosis can be painful and disfiguring. There is no cure for the disease.
Osteoporosis is most common in older people but can also occur in young and middle-aged adults. Optimizing peak bone mass and developing lifelong healthy bone behaviors during youth are important ways to prevent or minimize osteoporosis risks as an adult.
Factors Affecting Peak Bone Mass
Peak bone mass is influenced by a variety of factors--some that you can't change, like gender and race, and some that you can, like nutrition and physical activity.
Gender- Bone mass or density is generally higher in men than women. Before puberty, boys and girls develop bone mass at similar rates. After puberty, however, boys tend to acquire greater bone mass than girls.
Race- For reasons still not well understood, African American girls tend to achieve higher peak bone mass than Caucasian girls, and African America women are at lower risk for osteoporosis later in life. More research is needed to understand the differences in bone density between the various racial and ethnic groups. However, because all women, regardless of race, are at significant risk for osteoporosis, girls of all races need to build as much bone as possible to protect themselves against the disease.
Hormonal factors- Sex hormones, including estrogen and testosterone, are essential for the development of bone mass. Girls who start to menstruate at an early age typically have greater bone density. Those who frequently miss their menstrual periods sometimes have lower bone density.
Nutritional status- Calcium is an essential nutrient for bone health. In fact, calcium deficiencies in young people can account for 5-10% lower peak bone mass and adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, zinc, and vitamin D is also important for bone health.
Physical activity- Physical activity is important for building healthy bones. The benefits of activity are most pronounced in those areas of the skeleton that bear the most weight, such as the hips during walking and running and the arms during gymnastics and upper-body weightlifting.
Risk Factors
- Family history
- Petite build
- Caucasian or Asian descent
- Approaching or past menopause
- Lactose intolerant or few dairy products in diet
- Smoking or chewing tobacco
- More than 6 alcoholic beverages per week
- Excess caffeine, protein or sodium in the diet
- Use of thyroid, seizure, cortisone medication or Depo-Provera
- Breaking a bone during the past 5 years
- Experiencing loss of height
