Bone loss conditions, prevention and treatment
This essay will address several types of bone loss diseases and the pros and cons of treatment or prevention techniques. I will first explore what the characteristics of healthy bone are and what the loss of bone mass and density can mean to a person's health and well being. My sources will be from the internet, magazines, medical journals, several books, and the1998 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. I have a personal interest in this subject because my paternal Grandmother and Grandfather suffered before they died with some of the debilitating symptoms of bone loss and weakening. This included spinal fractures and posture slumping. Some of the prevention methods I will mention are exercise, diet, and drugs. I will talk about the use of estrogen replacement therapy and vitamins in the prevention of osteoporosis and their possible benefits and side effects. I will discuss the difference between osteoporosis and osteoarthritis as well as touch on some conditions in which the pain can be mistaken for them. My experience with a friend who has been crippled with arthritis since she was a child will open some topics for discussion. She has suffered several severe broken bone situations as a direct or indirect result of her disease and or
I will continue with more detailed discussion on preventative measures and treatments of both of these conditions of the bone after taking a moment to define fracture. In medicine, a fracture is a break in a bone. When an bone is normal, fractures can result from injury or from violent stress. This may occur as a result of an incident like falling at high velocity onto a hard surface. In bones already weakened by disease a condition called pathological fracture can occur. Under these conditions, fractures can occur spontaneously under ordinary stresses. The susceptibility of a bone to fracture under stress depends on its brittleness. Brittleness of bone is determined by its mineral content, or degree of calcification. The bones of infants and young children have low calcification and are therefore softer and more flexible than those of older persons whose bones are highly calcified. Fractures in infants and young children are commonly incomplete fractures, called greenstick fractures. In this type of fracture, the bone cracks on one side and bends on the other. In contrast, brittle bones of older persons can shatter. Endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer are associated with unopposed estrogen use,[22-28] and clinical studies have generally shown a linear relationship between estrogen dose and endometrial hyperplasia.[9,29] A recent study using ethinyl estradiol[29] showed that the use of 10 mg of ethinyl estradiol increased BMD of the lumbar spine, but a high incidence of endometrial hyperplasia was also noted. This high incidence of endometrial hyperplasia, the possible increased risk of breast cancer[30-32] with prolonged estrogen use, and the relationship of lumbar BMD to breast cancer[33] have led to alterations in the manner in which estrogens are administered and to the search for the lowest effective dose of estrogen. In addition, the concomitant use of cyclic or continuous progestins is considered mandatory for women who have not had a hysterectomy to prevent endometrial hyperplasia and cancer. The positive effects of estrogen therapy on the reduction in cardiovascular risk factors have been documented. The lipid profile changes reported herein are consistent with the estrogen effects reported elsewhere.[43,44] In support of the potential for positive effects of low-dose esterified estrogens on cardiovascular protection, a recent report from the Nurses Health Study[45] notes that the use of estrogens, including the 0.3-mg/d dose, is associated with a reduction in the incidence of cardiovascular disease.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Gynecologists Osteoarthritis, Grandmother Grandfather, Intern Med, Health Study45, Background Prospective, Results Estrogen, Methods Five, Conclusions Esterified, , Background Estrogen, esterified estrogens, replacement therapy, plasma estradiol, endometrial hyperplasia, estrogen replacement, estrogen replacement therapy, hormone replacement therapy, estradiol concentrations, plasma estradiol concentrations, hormone replacement, bone loss, postmenopausal women, lipid levels, bone mineral density, incidence endometrial hyperplasia,
Approximate Word count = 3232
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)
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