Osteoporosis is the disease marked by weak, brittle bones mostly found in women. The medical significance of this disease is that the bones lose both calcium for strength and matrix for support. Osteoporosis is the scientific name of the disease, but another term for it is osteopenia. The common name for it is osteoporosis. One half of all women over the age of 45 years, and 90 percent of women over 75 years in the United States are affected with osteoporosis.
There are many causes for this disease. One cause is our genetic heritage. If your mom had it, and her mom had it, there is a very good chance that you will get osteoporosis. Another cause could be an inadequate intake of vitamins and calcium. Dietary surveys have shown that most adults do not take in the recommended amount of calcium in their diets. Studies have shown that young men who develop osteoporosis are often heavy alcohol drinkers. Studies have also shown that a high intake of aluminum-containing antacids can reduce the calcium supply. Since osteoporosis is a shortage of calcium, the problem just might be that you do not take in enough calcium. Another cause is hormone excess in the body. A common cause of loss of calcium is too many h
There are numerous treatments for osteoporosis. While there are ways to prevent it and to treat it, there is no cure as of yet. The main treatment is prevention, exercise, healthy living, and estrogen treatment for women are the keys to success. A big part of treatment and prevention is exercise. Muscle mass and bone formation increase with exercise, even in older people. It especially helps to exercise against gravity, such as walking a mile or more daily or at least several times weekly. An organized workout program with an exercise trainer will help you achieve the most benefit to your body within your limitations. Water exercises are also a good way to exercise. A healthy diet is also important. Getting the proper amounts of calcium and vitamin D is essential in the treatment of this disease. Vitamin D can be obtained from the sun, so walking outdoors takes care of that. Calcium may be obtained from foods or from vitamins. It is recommended that 1.0 to 1.5 grams of calcium should be taken in each day. As far as estrogen treatment goes, women who have estrogen treatment increase the calcium in their bones by seven percent versus those who do not use the treatment. The percentage of those with fractures is
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