Osteoporosis

I attended a talk on osteoporosis yesterday but I kind of drag myself there because I’m mentally tired. Anyway the doctor shared some interesting facts that I went to research further.

Osteoporosis literally means 'porous bones'. Osteoporosis results in hip fracture and vertebral fracture.

Hip fracture results in
- 26% mortality
- 9% bed ridden
- 24% wheel chair bound.

Vertebral fracture results in
- disability
- physical deformity
- high risk of pneumonia (due to hunched back, lungs unable to expand properly to take sufficient air resulting in pneumonia).

So what are the risk factors for Osteoporosis?
The non modifiable risks are
- history of fractures
- low body weight
- older age

The potential modifiable risks are
- excess alcohol
- cigarettes
- drugs
- lack of exercise
- menopause

Currently, there is no blood test or symptoms that can identify Osteoporosis. A bone mineral density (BMD) test is the best way to determine your bone health. BMD tests can identify osteoporosis, determine your risk for fractures (broken bones), and measure your response to osteoporosis treatment. BMD tests provide doctors with a measurement called a T-score, a number value that results from comparing your bone density to optimal bone density. When a T-score appears as a negative number, it indicates low bone mass. The more negative the number, the greater the risk of fracture.

Other than BMD, there is another tool one can use to assess oneself. This is called the Osteoporosis Risk Assessment Tool for Asians (OSTA). There is another tool for the Caucasians called the Osteoporosis Self-assessment Tool (OST).

OSTA is just a simple formula of age minus weight.
If difference is more than 20 - high risk
If difference is 0 to 20 - moderate risk
If difference is less than 20 - low risk

So what should we do to prevent osteoporosis?

Until the age of 30, bodies will build and store bone efficiently. Thus one should make use of this time frame to have your daily intake of calcium. Calcium taken with Vitamin D leads to better absorption of the calcium.

Teenage girls need about 1000mg calcium daily for their growing bones. Beyond the teen years, a daily intake of 800mg is recommended. You can get calcium from milk, soybean drink, fortified cereals, yogurt, sardines, ikan bilis, kailan and tofu.

As for Vitamin D, other than getting it from sunlight, you can get it from fatty fish and fish oils e.g. cod liver oil, salmon, mackerel, sardines, liver and egg yolk. Although there is a high health risk associated with consuming too much vitamin D, it is not likely to happen through diet alone unless you routinely consume large amounts of cod liver oil.

Vitamin D toxicity can cause nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, constipation, weakness, and weight loss. It can also raise blood levels of calcium, causing mental status changes such as confusion. High blood levels of calcium can cause heart rhythm abnormalities, impaired kidney function and decreased absorption of other minerals.

Thus it is best to take calcium and Vitamin D moderately.

Although it is best to consume your calcium from natural sources, you can still obtain the necessary from daily calcium supplement with vitamin D and Bisphosphonates (eg. Fosamax, Actonal) which is a class of drug to strengthen bone and treat osteoporosis.

Lastly, make your home trip-free. By preventing yourself from falling, you will reduce the risk of incurring fractures and losing bone mass.

Source :
Healthlink
HPB – Singapore