This report will examine osteoporosis, beginning with a brief description of the disease. Some of the contributing causes of osteoporosis will be given as well as possible means of prevention and treatment. This report will also include an in depth look at several reasearch studies in the field.
Osteoporosis is a disease which primarily affects the skeletal system of the elderly, with the most severe effects being seen in women, generally after menopause. More than half the fractures seen in adults are related to osteoporosis. Women, however, are from two to four times as likely to suffer an osteoporotic fracture (Christiansen, 1990, p. 87). Osteoporosis is a condition in which the density of the bones is so low that they easily fracture. The most common fractures are of the wrist, femur, and spine; however, other fractures to the ribs and pelvis may also result (Stevenson, 1990, p. 11).
Aloia (1989, pp. 27-28) has identified the risk factors for osteoporosis. These risk factors can be classified as either modifiable or nonmodifiable. The nonmodifiable risk factors for osteoporosis follow:
Having a family history of the disease.
Experiencing previous bone loss from immobilization, hyperparathyroidism, thyrotoxicosis, liver disease, malabsorption, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic illness, or glucocorticoids and other drugs.
Suffering previous osteoporotic fractures.
The modifiable risk factors, which can be influenced by medication, diet, and exercise, follow:
Excess consumption of protein, caffeine, alcohol, and phosphorus.
Vitamin D deficiency or altered metabolism of vitamin D.
The most important of the modifiable factors contributing to osteoporosis is estrogen deficiency. During the postmenopausal period, a woman's production of estrogen decreases. Because of this loss, her body changes drastically. Psychological as well as physiological changes occur during this stressful period of a w...