Osteoporosis

What is Osteoporosis?

• A person with osteoporosis has lost a significant amount of bone mass and is subsequently at increased risk for fracture

Healthy vs Osteoporotic Bone (NOF)

Osteoporosis

• Like other conditions, osteoporosis is a “silent” disease

• Osteoporosis is different from arthritis

• Picture source: Ourhealthnetwork.com

Osteoporosis

• Bone is very metabolically active tissue

• Some cells, osteoblasts, build new bone

• Some cells, osteoclasts, take away old bone

• When bone loss (resorption) exceeds formation, osteoporosis can develop over time

• Video clip (YouTube, 0:55)

Two Types of Bone Tissue: Cortical & Trabecular

• Cortical bone– Also known as

compact bone

• Appendicular skeleton– Pelvis, limbs

Two Types of Bone Tissue: Cortical & Trabecular

• Trabecular bone– Also known as cancellous

bone– Also known as “spongy”

bone– More prone to osteoporosis– Bone “turnover” faster

• Axial skeleton– Skull– Ribs– Sternum– Spine

Osteoporosis: Vulnerable Areas

• Spine• Hip

– Although hip contains cortical bone, the area vulnerable to fractures is largely trabecular

Uncontrollable Risk Factors

• Age– The older the individual,

the higher the risk

• Sex– Women are at higher risk

until advanced age

• Race/ethnicity– Caucasian, individuals of

Asian descent more at risk

• Family history

Uncontrollable Risk Factors

• Body frame size– Often assessed at wrist (circumference) or

elbow (breadth)– The smaller the frame, the higher the risk– Calculator (myfooddiary.com)

• Some medical disorders– If calcium absorption is negatively impacted– If excessive steroid hormones are released

Controllable Risk Factors

• Diet– Low in calcium, Vitamin D– High in protein– High in caffeine

• Physical inactivity– Weight bearing exercise

helps

• Smoking– Tobacco use increases risk– Complicated: reduced

calcium absorption; lower weight; nicotine’s impact on osteoblasts, lower Vitamin D

Controllable Risk Factors

• Eating disorders– Anorexia nervosa increases risk– Female athlete triad = anorexia, amenorrhea,

osteoporosis

• Excessive alcohol intake– Consumption greater than 2-3 beverages/day– Interference with calcium absorption

Osteoporosis Quiz: What’s Your Risk?

• University of Arizona, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences