Osteoporosis
Definition
- Osteoporosis = porous bone (with a lot of ‘empty’ holes)
- It’s a disease that weakens the bones, making them fragile and more likely to break
o The bones are so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses, such as bending over
or coughing, can cause a fracture
o Osteoporosis-related fractures most commonly occur in the hip, wrist, or spine
- The stage before osteoporosis is called osteopenia
o This is when bone density is lower than the average for the patient’s age, but
not low enough to be classed as osteoporosis
o Osteopenia doesn’t always lead to osteoporosis
Epidemiology
- About 200 million people are estimated to have osteoporosis throughout the world
- It affects men and women of all races, but white and Asian women are at highest risk
- Women > men women have a 4 times higher risk
- Age > 50 years
Figuur 1: https://www.spineuniverse.com/conditions/osteoporosis/osteoporosis-silent-thief
Causes and risk factors
Bone is a living tissue, meaning that it’s constantly being broken down and replaced. In
younger people, the bone renewal is faster than the bone breakdown, which leads to an
increase in bone mass
after the early 20s this process slows down
most people reach their peak bone mass by age 30
the more peak bone you have ‘in the bank’, the less likely you’ll develop
osteoporosis as you age
@MyMedicalPulse 1
Definition
- Osteoporosis = porous bone (with a lot of ‘empty’ holes)
- It’s a disease that weakens the bones, making them fragile and more likely to break
o The bones are so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses, such as bending over
or coughing, can cause a fracture
o Osteoporosis-related fractures most commonly occur in the hip, wrist, or spine
- The stage before osteoporosis is called osteopenia
o This is when bone density is lower than the average for the patient’s age, but
not low enough to be classed as osteoporosis
o Osteopenia doesn’t always lead to osteoporosis
Epidemiology
- About 200 million people are estimated to have osteoporosis throughout the world
- It affects men and women of all races, but white and Asian women are at highest risk
- Women > men women have a 4 times higher risk
- Age > 50 years
Figuur 1: https://www.spineuniverse.com/conditions/osteoporosis/osteoporosis-silent-thief
Causes and risk factors
Bone is a living tissue, meaning that it’s constantly being broken down and replaced. In
younger people, the bone renewal is faster than the bone breakdown, which leads to an
increase in bone mass
after the early 20s this process slows down
most people reach their peak bone mass by age 30
the more peak bone you have ‘in the bank’, the less likely you’ll develop
osteoporosis as you age
@MyMedicalPulse 1
