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Osteoporosis

What is it?

Osteoporosis is a condition leading to thinning of bones so that they become weak and brittle and tend to break.

Who gets it?

Osteoporosis is found mainly in middle-aged and elderly women, after the menopause (when the periods cease).

Why do they get it?

• Women at greatest risk are those who:
• are of Caucasian or Asian racial origin
• are thin and slight
• smoke cigarettes
• drink a lot of alcohol
• drink a lot of coffee
• get little exercise
• have little calcium in their diet
• lack hormones due to the menopause
• take cortisone tablets

How do you know if you have it?

Most women do not know, because thinning of the bones occurs unobtrusively. It is often first noticed when a bone breaks, usually the hip, wrist or vertebrae of the spine.

What can you do about it?

• Take regular weight-bearing exercise such as walking.
• Stop smoking.
• Cut down on alcohol and caffeine.

Have adequate calcium in your diet: 800-1000 mg per day. Eat calcium-rich foods such as low-fat calcium-enriched milk, other low-fat dairy products (e.g. yoghurt or cheese), fish (including tinned fish such as salmon, with the bone), citrus fruits, sesame seeds and almonds.

What can your doctor do?

Your doctor may:

• discuss your diet
• suggest hormone tablets and calcium supplements
• review our 'risks' for osteoporosis, and if you are at high risk suggest further tests such as bone density measurement
  

Key points

• Osteoporosis is a common condition.
• It starts from a young age but develops faster in middle and older age.
• The main aim is to prevent it from occurring.
  
  

Copyright 1995: John Murtagh, Professor of General Practice
Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

NEVDGP entry - Check out "slow moving weight bearing exercise" Australian video
www.osteoexercisevideo.com