World Osteoporosis Day - October 20
World Osteoporosis Day on October 20, is the time to learn about osteoporosis. Celebrate good health and educate yourself and others about the value of taking care of your body and protecting your bones and muscles from disabling and life-threatening fractures.
History of World Osteoporosis Day
World Osteoporosis Day (WOD) is the annual highpoint of activities sponsored by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), which is deeply involved in educating the public about this devastating bone disease. Osteoporosis renders bones so frail and brittle that any slight action including even a sneeze or a fall can be life-threatening, causing never-ending pain and discomfort from entire bone breaks and fractures.
World Osteoporosis Day began in the United Kingdom. With support by the European Commission, World Osteoporosis Day became a project of the National Osteoporosis Society in the United Kingdom on October 20, 1996.
It’s interesting to note that prior to 1994, osteoporosis wasn’t even considered a major disease. But in 1998, two prominent organizations committed to educating the public about osteoporosis, combined to create the International Osteoporosis Foundation.
The founding of the IOF was a combination of the joint efforts of the European Foundation for Osteoporosis (EFFO) created in 1987 and the International Federation of Societies on Skeletal Diseases (IFSSD), which was initiated in 1995. By bringing both organizations together under a single umbrella, there was a better focus and a co-mingling of resources for the world’s scientists, doctors, and other health advocacy organizations who were fighting osteoporosis.
By the late 90s, the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO) co-sponsored World Osteoporosis Day events with the IOF. Since that time, the IOF has taken over much of the leadership in sponsoring awareness-raising events all over the world.
One of the most important events for WOD is checking bone density. Bones that are less dense are more liable to easily break or fracture at sudden movement or during minor falls. These bone density tests are available on WOD all over the world. But there are events taking place globally that not only raise awareness but are all just plain fun! To find out more, log onto the IOF website.
Understanding Osteoporosis
What is osteoporosis?
The word ‘osteoporosis’ means ‘porous bone.’ It is a disease that weakens bones, and if you have it, you are at a greater risk for sudden and unexpected bone fractures. Osteoporosis means that you have less bone mass and strength. The disease often develops without any symptoms or pain, and it is usually not discovered until the weakened bones cause painful fractures. Most of these are fractures of the hip, wrist and spine.
Who gets osteoporosis?
About 200 million people are estimated to have osteoporosis throughout the world. In the U.S., the figure is about 54 million people. Although osteoporosis occurs in both men and women, women are four times more likely to develop the disease than men. There are currently about two million men in the U.S. who have osteoporosis and some 12 million more who are at risk of developing the condition.
After age 50, one in two women and one in four men will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetimes. Another 30% have low bone density that puts them at risk of developing osteoporosis. This condition is called osteopenia.
Osteoporosis is responsible for more than two million fractures each year, and this number continues to grow. There are steps you can take to prevent osteoporosis from ever occurring. Treatments can also slow the rate of bone loss if you do have osteoporosis.
What causes osteoporosis?
Researchers understand how osteoporosis develops even without knowing the exact cause of why it develops. Your bones are made of living, growing tissue. The inside of healthy bone looks like a sponge. This area is called trabecular bone. An outer shell of dense bone wraps around the spongy bone. This hard shell is called cortical bone.
When osteoporosis occurs, the "holes" in the "sponge" grow larger and more numerous, which weakens the inside of the bone. Bones support the body and protect vital organs. Bones also store calcium and other minerals. When the body needs calcium, it breaks down and rebuilds bone. This process, called bone remodeling, supplies the body with needed calcium while keeping the bones strong.
Up until about age 30, you normally build more bone than you lose. After age 35, bone breakdown occurs faster than bone buildup, which causes a gradual loss of bone mass. If you have osteoporosis, you lose bone mass at a greater rate. After menopause, the rate of bone breakdown occurs even more quickly.
What are the symptoms of osteoporosis?
Usually, there are no symptoms of osteoporosis. That is why it is sometimes called a silent disease. However, you should watch out for the following things:
- Loss of height (getting shorter by an inch or more).
- Change in posture (stooping or bending forward).
- Shortness of breath (smaller lung capacity due to compressed disks).
- Bone fractures.
- Pain in the lower back.
Who is at risk for developing osteoporosis?
There are many risk factors that increase your chance of developing osteoporosis, with two of the most significant being gender and age.
Everyone’s risk for osteoporosis fractures increases with age. However, women over the age of 50 or postmenopausal women have the greatest risk of developing osteoporosis. Women undergo rapid bone loss in the first 10 years after entering menopause, because menopause slows the production of estrogen, a hormone that protects against excessive bone loss.
Age and osteoporosis affect men also. You might be surprised to know that men over the age of 50 are more likely to have an osteoporosis-induced bone break than to get prostate cancer. About 80,000 men per year are expected to break a hip, and men are more likely than women to die in the year after a hip fracture.
Your risk of developing osteoporosis is also linked to ethnicity. Caucasian and Asian women are more likely to develop osteoporosis. However, African-American and Hispanic women are still at risk. In fact, African-American women are more likely than white women to die after a hip fracture.
Another factor is bone structure and body weight. Petite and thin people have a greater risk of developing osteoporosis because they have less bone to lose than people with more body weight and larger frames.
Family history also plays a part in osteoporosis risk. If your parents or grandparents have had any signs of osteoporosis, such as a fractured hip after a minor fall, you may have a greater risk of developing the disease.
Finally, some medical conditions and medications increase your risk. If you have or had any of the following conditions, some of which are related to irregular hormone levels, you and your healthcare provider might consider earlier screening for osteoporosis.
- Overactive thyroid, parathyroid, or adrenal glands.
- History of bariatric (weight loss) surgery or organ transplant.
- Hormone treatment for breast or prostate cancer or a history of missed periods.
- Celiac disease, or inflammatory bowel disease.
- Blood diseases such as multiple myeloma.
Some medications cause side effects that may damage bone and lead to osteoporosis. These include steroids, treatments for breast cancer, and medications for treating seizures. You should speak with your healthcare provider or pharmacist about the effect of your medications on bones.
It may seem as though every risk factor is related to something that is out of your control, but that’s not true. You do have control over some of the risk factors for osteoporosis. You can discuss medication issues with your healthcare provider. And—you are in charge of your:
- Eating habits: You are more likely to develop osteoporosis if your body doesn’t have enough calcium and vitamin D. Although eating disorders like bulimia or anorexia are risk factors, they can be treated.
- Lifestyle: People who lead sedentary (inactive) lifestyles have a higher risk of osteoporosis.
- Tobacco use: Smoking increases the risk of fractures.
- Alcohol use: Having two drinks a day (or more) increases the risk of osteoporosis.
How is osteoporosis diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider can order a test to give you information about your bone health before problems begin. Bone mineral density (BMD) tests are also known as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA or DXA) scans. These X-rays use very small amounts of radiation to determine how solid the bones of the spine, hip or wrist are. Regular X-rays will only show osteoporosis when the disease is very far along.
All women over the age of 65 should have a bone density test. The DEXA scan may be done earlier for women who have risk factors for osteoporosis. Men over age 70, or younger men with risk factors, should also consider getting a bone density test.
How is osteoporosis treated?
Treatments for established osteoporosis may include exercise, vitamin and mineral supplements, and medications. Exercise and supplementation are often suggested to help you prevent osteoporosis. Weight-bearing, resistance, and balance exercises are all important.
What medications are used to treat osteoporosis?
There are several classes of medications used to treat osteoporosis. Your healthcare provider will work with you to find the best fit. It’s not really possible to say there is one best medication to treat osteoporosis. The ‘best’ treatment is the one that is best for you.
Women whose bone density test shows T-scores of -2.5 or lower, such as -3.3 or -3.8, should begin therapy to reduce their risk of fracture. Many women need treatment if they have osteopenia, which is a bone weakness that is not as severe as osteoporosis. Your doctor might use the World Health Organization fracture risk assessment tool, or FRAX, to see if you qualify for treatment based on your risk factors and bone density results. People who have had a typical osteoporosis fracture, such as that of the wrist, spine or hip, should also be treated (sometimes even if the bone density results are normal).
Osteoporosis Prevention
Your diet and lifestyle are two important risk factors you can control to prevent osteoporosis. Replacing lost estrogen with hormone therapy also provides a strong defense against osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.
Diet
To maintain strong, healthy bones, you need a diet rich in calcium throughout your life. One cup of skim or 1 percent fat milk contains 300 milligrams of calcium.
Besides dairy products, other good sources of calcium are salmon with bones, sardines, kale, broccoli, calcium-fortified juices and bread, dried figs, and calcium supplements. It is best to try to get calcium from food and drink.
For those who need supplements, remember that the body can only absorb 500 mg of calcium at a time. You should take your calcium supplements in divided doses since anything more than 500 mg will not be absorbed.
Vitamin D is also important because it enables the body to absorb calcium. The recommended daily allowances of vitamin D are listed below. Vitamin D can also be obtained from sunlight exposure a few times a week or by drinking fortified milk.
Lifestyle
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can reduce the degree of bone loss. Begin a regular exercise program. Exercises that make your muscles work against gravity (such as walking, jogging, aerobics, and weightlifting) are best for strengthening bones.
Do not drink too much alcohol. Do not have excessive amounts of caffeine. Don’t use tobacco at all.
Living with Osteoporosis
If you have osteoporosis, you should continue with the lifestyle measures mentioned earlier in terms of eating well, getting enough exercise, avoiding excessive caffeine and alcohol consumption, and not smoking. Make sure that you follow the suggestions of your healthcare provider. You should do all that you can to prevent falls inside and outside of your home. You might want to start with a medical evaluation, which could lead to your healthcare provider providing assistive devices.
Prevent falls inside your home
- Keep your floors free of clutter, including throw rugs and loose wires and cords. Use only non-skid items if you have mats, carpets, or area rugs.
- Make sure your lighting is bright enough so that you can see well.
- Do not use cleaners that leave your floors slippery.
- Clean up any spills that happen immediately.
- Use grab bars in the bathroom and railings on stairways.
Prevent falls outside your home
- Make sure lighting is adequate in all areas outside your home.
- Use a backpack or other type of bag that leaves your hands free.
- Keep areas outside in good repair and free of clutter.
- Wear sensible shoes with non-slip bottoms.
This is in no way a complete list of things that you can do to help prevent falls, but this is a starting point. Also, remember to take your time. You might be less careful if you are in a hurry.
Why World Osteoporosis Day is Important
Understanding your risk is key
Using World Osteoporosis Day to discuss your risk factors is one of the many reasons for the day. People are living longer today than ever before because of medical innovations. That’s why you want to have the best quality of life possible as you age. Getting educated on your risk factors is a big step in osteoporosis prevention.
Getting tested can save a life
Using World Osteoporosis Day to understand what your bones do in the body and all the ways you can keep them strong can save your life. Use this day to talk to professionals about the best way to strengthen your body or to begin treatments if necessary.
Start strong, live strong
You don’t have to be a weightlifter to have healthy bones. Learn what foods add to bone density and what daily practices to have so that you live your best life on World Osteoporosis Day and all the days to come.
Observing World Osteoporosis Day
Wear your whites
To celebrate and bring awareness to World Osteoporosis Day, make sure to wear all white in honor of the occasion. Wearing all white is one way to draw some attention to the day and start a conversation with someone about it.
Get healthy
Be proactive on World Osteoporosis Day and take a bone density test. Find out about your osteoporosis risk factors (if any) and learn what you can do to prevent them. If you haven’t been doing so before, commit to a healthy diet, take your vitamins and start an exercise routine to help your body stay strong and fracture-free.
Spread the word
World Osteoporosis Day doesn’t work if you keep it to yourself. Make sure you tell others about how important bone health is through social media, conversation, or even a blog post about your own experiences. Helping others understand their risk will give everyone the opportunity to live their longest, healthiest lives.
Sources:
https://nationaltoday.com/world-osteoporosis-day/
https://www.nof.org/patients/patient-support/
https://americanbonehealth.org/online-osteoporosis-community/