Osteoporosis

• Osteoporosis is a disease of bones which causes low bone mass, low bone mineral density and micro-structural deterioration of bone tissue leading to increased bone fragility. This can lead to a decrease in bone strength that can increase the risk of fractures with minimal trauma as bones become very weak and brittle. Even mild stresses such as coughing, lifting or bending over can cause a fracture. Osteoporotic fractures commonly occur in the hip, wrist or spine.

• Osteoporosis is a “silent” disease because you typically don’t have any symptoms until you get a fracture.

• Osteoporosis in older adults causes fractures including vertebral fractures and fractured hips.

• Osteoporosis contributing to both surgical and non-surgical fractures. 

• The numbers of patients with osteoporosis is set to exponentially rise given that life expectancy is increasing.

• These osteoporotic fractures contribute enormously to health care costs by causing considerable morbidity and a prolonged length of acute hospital stay.

• Less than 25% of those elderly who fracture after a fall are on appropriate osteoporotic treatment which can reduce the risk of hip fracture in up to 50% of patients.

• Those older people who lose height (they shrink) or have a flexed, forward curved thoracic back spine (kyphosis) already have advanced osteoporosis and have a very high risk of serious fractures with any fall. This osteoporosis must be treated to prevent it getting even worse and prevent fractures.

• What causes osteoporosis in elderly?- abnormal bone remodelling which occurs throughout life but in the elderly there is an imbalance between bone resorption and bone production, so there is more bone destruction than bone produced.

• Weight bearing excercise, regular walking, adequate calcium and VIT D intake, avoid malnutrition can reduce risk of osteoporosis. Also avoid alcohol and smoking which increase risk of osteoporosis. Steroids such as Prednisone long term can cause osteoporosis.

• Falls risk reduction is equally important to reduce osteoporotic fractures as fragile bones can still break with falls even on osteoporotic treatment.

For more information read Dr Peter Lipski’s book “Your Elderly Parents Failing Health. Is It Ageing Or A Treatable Condition”.