Bone to the left is normal bone, bone to the right is osteoporotic bone.
Osteoporosis is a disease that results in reduction in bone mass, the bones become thinner, lighter, more porous and more brittle.
It is a disease which is common among old people. In everyone, progressive loss of bone density starts after mid-30s.
Women during menopause/postmenopausal (due to hormonal change, in particular a drop in oestrogen level) tend to loose their bone density faster than men. After reaching 65-70 years of age, this rapid rate of bone density loss decreases, reaching the same level as men.
Osteoporosis affect the whole body, but the most affected areas are the part which support most of the body's weight: the vertebrae, pelvic-leg system (hip, femur).
Risks:
1. fracture of the vertebrae & bones (hip, wrist, etc)2. reduction in height over time
3. stooped posture.
Prevention:
1. taking diet rich in calcium, phosphate, vitamin D.
2. carry out physical exercise (weight-bearing exercise) that stress the bone
3. stop smoking
4. stop alcohol abuse
5. maintain healthy body weight
Remember: Osteoporosis has NO symptoms until a bone is fractured!
