Protect with prevention
An effective way to care for our wellbeing is to prevent diseases occurring in the first place. We can reduce heart disease with exercise and cut cancer risks by giving up smoking and eating well. Osteoporosis is similar because both good nutrition and exercise give our bone-making cells (osteoblasts) the molecules they need to build a good resource of bone density. But if we have brittle bones we may not even know, as they aren’t many outward symptoms. As well as being related to nutrition, bone wellness is also linked to hormone regulation. This means doctors can identify at-risk groups. Men over 70 and women over 50 have lower levels of testosterone and oestrogen in their body respectively than when they were younger, which is why this age group is more likely to have brittle bones. If we’ve ever had cancer drugs, corticosteroids, or experienced a very low body weight in the past, we could also find our bones are lighter than average.
Diagnosis and Treatment
A common way to find out if we suffer from osteoporosis is to have our bone mineral density (BMD) measured. If our BMD falls below a certain level than we are classed as having the condition, if it’s slightly higher than this but still below average, we may be given a diagnosis of osteopenia. The scan is painless and is called dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). The scan uses the same technology as standard x-rays machines but requires less radiation. It takes several minutes to complete and we could have the majority of our body scanned or just one joint. Depending on whether we have osteoporosis or not, we may begin medication and be given tips on how to change our diets and activity levels to promote our BMD. Meeting with our GP can inform us of our osteoporosis risks and potentially get us started on treatment plans that prevent us suffering the severe effects of the disease – like fracture complications.