What is Post Menopausal Osteoporosis?
After 50 years, particularly in white women of small stature, there is a decrease in trabecular bone resulting in a decline in the total calcium mass. In some cases this decrease is significant trabecular bone loss of 0.5 to 2% per year.
The cause is multi factorial.
The decline in the mobilization usual (very sedentary people) is one of them, which is associated deficits dietary calcium (requires at least 1 g of calcium daily), or increased excretion as observed prolonged immobilization in bed, alcoholism, hyperthyroidism, liver disease or treatment with corticosteroids.
In the woman occurs when estrogen decrease in post menopause, as may occur in man with the fall of androgens in hypogonadism.
It is not yet convincingly clarified the role of those truly responsible for the regulation of calcium metabolism, such as parathyroid hormone, calcitonin and 1, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol in the genesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis is possible that even a leading role. This allows the occurrence of fractures with minimal trauma.
It is the major cause of fractures in the Western world. The risk is 2-4 times higher in women than in men.
The probability of hip fracture increases 1.3% per year in women aged 65 years and half in the case of men. At 65 years, the incidence is 1-2/1.000 for women and for men 0.5-1/1.000. At 85 years, the corresponding rates are of 25/1.000 to 10/1.000 women and for men.
This is compounded by the fact that, after 60 years, one third of people suffer a fall each year. Like all body tissues, bone is also under the involution, after a certain age and with a negative skeletal balance, determines a decrease in bone mass.
Anatomically, osteoporosis is a bone lesion characterized by a progressive thinning of the bone trabeculae, much stronger and faster than the physiological evolution. The trabeculae maintain their organic and mineral structure, but its causes thinning expand intertrabecular spaces’, making the compact bone is transformed into foam with a less thick. In summary, there is a reduction of the total quantity of bone tissue.
Although osteoporosis is also a condition that affects men (750,000 in Spain) is a disease that is directly related to women, because it is after the menopause when triggered or accelerated osteoporosis. At this stage of life of women is a decrease of estrogen causing increased bone resorption and the consequent loss of bone density.
According to president of the Spanish Association for the Study of Menopause, stresses the importance of avoiding factors that increase the risk of disease, such as the snuff and excessive intake of caffeine products.
It also refers to the practice of preventive measures such as aerobic exercise in moderation and eating a diet rich in calcium, increasing the intake of low-fat dairy products and fortified with calcium and vitamin C.
