Osteoporosis

What exactly is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a general term describing the reduction in bone mineral density.

Which factors make people susceptible to osteoporosis?
There are many factors making people susceptible to osteoporosis.

Are there other conditions of which osteoporosis is a common feature?
Yes, quite a few other conditions have osteoporosis as a common feature.

Do diet and lifestyle have an impact on osteoporosis?
People who do little, who smoke and drink, and who eat an unhealthy diet are at higher risk for osteoporosis than people who lead a healthy lifestyle.

How can I prevent osteoporosis?
There is a lot you can do to prevent osteoporosis.

Should I use HRT to treat my osteoporosis?
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is one of the most common ways of treating osteoporosis, but it is not suitable for all women.

What other treatments are there?
There are many different types of treatment for osteoporosis.

What if I break my spine or my hip?
While everything is done to prevent fractures, they still happen.

Is it true that it only affects postmenopausal women?
No, men are often also affected by osteoporosis. One third of all fractured hips and vertebrae due to osteoporosis occur in men.

Why do people with osteoporosis so often break bones?
The end result of the disease is bones that are thinner and more brittle than those of people who do not have the disease.

Why does bone mass start to decline in postmenopausal women?
Bone mass starts to decline in middle age. Read more about the reasons for this.

How do doctors diagnose osteoporosis?
This condition is diagnosed by measuring bone mineral density.

Is exercise good for me if I have osteoporosis?
Many people are sacred that exercise will increase their risk of bone fractures. The contrary is actually true, as physical activity actually maintains bone mass.

What is a bone scan and will it hurt?
A bone scan is an X-ray that can show bone loss in the spine and hip area. The test takes about 10 – 20 minutes. It does not hurt at all.

How much calcium should I take?
The recommended daily dose for people over 50, is 1500mg/d. For children aged one to 10, it is 1000mg/d, for 11- 18 year-olds 1600mg/d and 19 –50 year olds 1100 – 1500mg/d.

Osteoporosis - from Natural Standard
Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones that makes them weak and prone to fracture.