|
OSTEOPOROSIS
WHAT IS OSTEOPOROSIS? Osteoporosis is defined as the weakening of bone due to the loss of its minerals. This process in turn leads to fractures. The most significant sites of fracture are the neck of the femur (hip) and lumbar vertebrae (spine).
WHO GETS OSTEOPOROSIS? It was once thought that osteoporosis was primarily a disease of older women. It is now known that some middle-aged women may be affected by early osteoporosis and that a large number of older men may have the disease as well.
WHAT CAUSES OSTEOPOROSIS? At The Doctor is In, we have noted that the vast majority of our patients diagnosed with osteoporosis have significant vitamin D deficiencies as well. Therefore, with a simple blood test, we regular check a patient’s vitamin D levels. Vitamin D plays an essential role in the building of healthy bone. When skin is exposed to adequate amounts of sunlight, the manufacture of vitamin D is triggered. This process serves as the main source of vitamin D for our bodies. Over the past generation, as the medical establishment has warned us to minimize our sun exposure and to apply sun block (which prevents the production of vitamin D) and as we have spent more hours working indoors, it is likely that vitamin D levels in many people have fallen significantly.
Other factors that play a role in the development of osteoporosis include smoking, alcohol abuse, poor nutrition, sedentary lifestyle, chronic steroid use and family history of the disease.
HOW ARE THE FRACTURES OF OSTEOPOROSIS DELETERIOUS TO ONE’S OVERALL HEALTH? It is known that any person over the age of 65 who falls and breaks his or her hip has at least a 25% chance of dying within one year due to complications of the fracture. Fractures of the spine can lead to kyphosis (hunchback) more commonly known as dowager’s hump, as well as cause chronic unremitting back pain which may be quite severe.
WHAT IS OSTEOPENIA? The early stages of bone loss are referred to as osteopenia. The later stages, osteoporosis.
HOW IS THE DIAGNOSIS OF OSTEOPOROSIS MADE? A bone density measurement is made of the spine and hip areas by a dexascan machine.
HOW DO WE TREAT OSTEOPOROSIS? Underlying causes such as smoking, lack of weight bearing exercise or steroid use, should be addressed. Vitamin D levels should be measured in all patients with either osteopenia or osteoporosis and any deficiency should be corrected with vitamin D supplementation and sufficient sun exposure if not contra-indicated.
At The Doctor is In, we have found that many patients resistant to the standard treatments of calcium supplementation plus osteoporosis drugs improve dramatically once vitamin D deficiency is identified and corrected.
Adequate calcium intake totaling 1500 mg/day is advised and a prescription drug to build bone such as Actonel, Boniva, Evista or Fosamax is usually proscribed.
|