Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition when bones reach the point of causing fractures under common everyday stress factors because the rate of bone loss is much greater than the production of bone loss. It leads to fragile bones and increased risk for fractures.. It affects more than 44 millions people in the united states. It is often called the silent disease because bone loss can occur without symptoms. First sign is usually a fracture.

Trabecular bone is the lacy network of calcium-containing crystals that fills the interior. Light honeycomb structure.
Cortical bone is the dense ivory-like bone that forms the exterior shell. Runs through the length of the bone forming a hollow cylinder.

Osteoclasts- the cells that destroy bone during bone growth. Resorbe bone matrix from sites where it is deteriorating or not needed.
Osteoblasts- the cells that build bone back in the space that osteoclasts absorbed and destroyed the bone.

Type 1- breaks suddenly occur. Trabeculer bone becomes so fragile that the body’s own weight can overstress the bones.
Type 2- calcium in cortical and trabecular bone is drawn out of storage. This type causes the ‘dowager’s hump’ which is where the spine is curved and person is hunched over.
Type 1 and 2 Osteoporosis- Diagnosed by using a dual-energy xray absorptiometry (Dexa scan) or an ultrasound.

Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for an estimated 44 million americans of the people 50 years of age and older. 10 million individuals are estimated to already have the disease and almost 34 million more are estimated to have low bone mass,placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis.
Of the 10 million Americans estimated to have osteoporosis, eight million are women and two million are men.

Age-. About 85-90% of adult bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls and 20 in boys. Peak bone acquiration is around age 30. Generally affects people the age of 50 and above. Gender- Osteoporosis mostly affects women more because when women reach menopause their levels of estrogen decreases which is very important to bone production. Lack of estrogen appears to enhance the ability of osteoclasts to absorb bone and limit the absorption of calcium needed for osteoblasts to build bone. When the bone-removing osteoclasts do their job better than the bone-building osteoblasts, the net result is bone loss.

Ethnicity- Generally all of the race’s and etnicities are affects but the most affected according to the NOF is the non-hispanic caucasion and asian women aged 50 or older. Twenty percent have osteoporosis, and 52 percent are estimated to have low bone mass.

Two essential minerals for normal bone formation are calcium and phosphate. Throughout youth, the body uses these minerals to produce bones. From adolescents to the age of 18 a recommended dose is set as high as 1300 MG per day. Between 19 and 50 1000 mg are recommended and 50 and older, recommendations are raised to 1200 again.
a) Calcium. Calcium is a mineral that is important for healthy bones. It is a building block of bone.

B) Vitamin D. Vitamin D is important because it helps your body use calcium. If you don’t get enough vitamin D or if your body does not absorb it well, you are at much greater risk for bone loss and osteoporosis. Vitamin D is obtained throug hexposure to sunlight

C) Phosphorous. Like calcium, phosphorous is a part of the bones. Because this mineral is naturally present in many foods, most people get enough phosphorus. It is sometimes added to processed foods and soft drinks in the form of phosphate or phosphoric acid. While some experts say that Americans may be getting too much phosphorous, many experts believe that phosphorous intake is not a problem as long as people get enough calcium.

Osteoporosis results from an unhealthy imbalance between two normal activities of bone: bone resorption and bone formation. •These activities rely on two major types of cells: osteoclasts for bone resorption and osteoblasts for bone formation. The combined processes of bone resorption and bone formation allow the healthy skeleton to be maintained continually by the removal of old bone and its replacement with new bone.

Lack of estrogen- causes osteoclast ability to skyrocket. Angrogen is a male hormone which is also important in bone growth.

Calcium is essential for bone formation. 99 percent of the body’s calcium is in the bones and teeth. It plays a role in the integral structure (provides a rigid frame that holds the body upright) and serves as an attachmment point for muscles proving movbement. The DRI recomends 1300 MG of calcium per day for anyone the age 9-18.

1 percent of Calcium is also found in the intra/extracellularfluids. Extracellular calcium helps with blood cloting while intracellular binds proteins within the cells and activates them (and they participate in the regulation of muscle contractions, transmission of nerve impulses, secretion of hormones and enzyme reactions.)

Calcium is absorbed through foods with the help of vitamin D. vitamin D helps make calcium binding protein to absorb more of the calcium we eat. about 25 percent of calcium is absorbed through food and the stomach acids keeps this calcium soluble.