Sunday, May 6, 2012

Bones and Osteoporosis

Bone renovation is a continuous tissue. When the bone renovations stop or break the balance between formation and bone destruction, for example due to changes in diet or hormonal lost minerals that keep the hardness and density characteristics of the bone.

This condition is called osteopenia. When the loss is larger and has more bone fracture risk, we are ahead of osteoporosis.

In osteoporosis increases the risk of fracture, especially in the hips, spine and wrists. Increased risk with age and affects more women than men.

Bones and Osteoporosis
It is also more common in Caucasian and Asian races. According to the American Foundation for osteoporosis, 10 million people in the U.S. have osteoporosis and 34 million have a loss of bone mineral density which makes them more vulnerable to disease. Of these, 80% are women.

Many people at risk of osteoporosis do not know and did not discover until suffering a fracture, hence is often called the "silent disease". This fracture, especially in the hips, vertebrae of the spine or wrist can occur with minimal trauma and cause chronic pain or disability in the joint. If the state of health is already affected, this fracture can make things worse and may be a cause of death in these patients.

The bones are formed by a network of collagen type I on which deposit calcium phosphate, which allows them to be so strong and flexible. Bone is a tissue that is constantly remodeling. During resorption, osteoclasts dissolve bone and some enzymes break down the collagen network.

This is followed by new bone formation by osteoblasts, which secrete osteocalcin and collagen precursors to form another network that will again be mineralized. This process is continuous and is called bone remodeling occurs throughout the body, thereby replacing 8-10% of bone each year.

During childhood education is greater than restoration, thereby increasing bone mass. This is often extended to 30 years. After formation and restoration decreases recovered, so it has decreased bone mass. Inadequate intake of calcium and vitamin D in infancy, the use of drugs that contain steroids (such as asthma medication), anorexia, physical inactivity, snuff and excess alcohol are factors that increase the risk of osteoporosis throughout life.

Some diseases, such as the thyroid, Cushing's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease, hyperparathyroidism and vitamin D deficiency may have an effect on bone health. Those with a family history of osteoporosis also carry greater risk.

Women, during menopause, may lose bone mass due to decreased estrogen. Early menopause increases the loss. According to some studies, a woman may lose more than 20% of their bone mass in the first 5 to 8 years after menopause. Men with low testosterone levels also have higher risk of disease.

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