The silent killer: osteoporosis

(1) What is osteoporosis?Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease among middle-aged and elderly people
.
Osteoporosis is a systemic disease, its main characteristics are low bone mineral content, bone structure destruction, bone strength reduction, and easy fracture
.
Pain, hunchback, reduced height, and fractures are characteristic manifestations of osteoporosis
.
However, many patients with osteoporosis often have no obvious sensation in the early stages of the disease
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Osteoporotic fractures are fragility fractures that usually occur after daily weight-bearing, activities, bending over, and falls
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Fractures are a direct consequence of osteoporosis.
In mild cases, it affects body function, and in severe cases, it can cause disability or even death
.
Common fracture sites are the lower back, hips and arms
.
(2) The harm of osteoporosis
.
Osteoporosis is the fourth most common chronic disease and the most common bone disease among middle-aged and elderly people
.
Osteoporosis is called the silent killer
.
Fracture is a serious consequence of osteoporosis, and is often the first symptom and reason for medical treatment in some patients with osteoporosis
.
In the first year after hip fracture, the mortality rate due to various complications reaches 20-25%
.
More than 50% of the survivors will have varying degrees of disability
.
The annual direct economic burden of a patient with an osteoporotic hip fracture is RMB 32,776
.
The direct economic burden of osteoporotic hip fractures in China is 108 billion yuan each year
.
(3) The cause of osteoporosis
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Osteoporosis is affected by congenital and acquired factors
.
Innate factors refer to race, gender, age, and family history; acquired factors include drugs, diseases, nutrition, and life>
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Old age, female menopause, and male sexual dysfunction are all causes of osteoporosis
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　　(4) High-risk groups of osteoporosis
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　　People with the following factors are at high risk of osteoporosis: old age; female menopause; maternal family history (especially family history of hip fracture); low body weight; low sex hormones; smoking; excessive drinking or coffee; low physical activity; dietary calcium And/or vitamin D deficiency (low light or low intake); diseases that affect bone metabolism; use drugs that affect bone metabolism
.
　　(5) Prevention of osteoporosis
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　　Osteoporosis is preventable and curable
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　　People of all ages should pay attention to the prevention of osteoporosis.
The life>
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　　The mineral content in human bones reaches the highest in their 30s, which is medically called peak bone mass
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The higher the peak bone mass, the more the "bone mineral bank" reserves in the human body, the more delayed and less severe the occurrence of osteoporosis in old age
.
　　Actively improve diet and life>
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　　Balanced diet: increase the intake of calcium and appropriate amount of protein in the diet, and a low-salt diet
.
The intake of calcium has an irreplaceable effect on the prevention of osteoporosis
.
Smoking, alcohol abuse, excessive intake of caffeine and high-phosphorus beverages can increase the risk of osteoporosis
.
　　Appropriate exercise: The bone tissue of the human body is a kind of living tissue.
The activity of the muscles during exercise will continuously stimulate the bone tissue and make the bones stronger.

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Exercise also helps to enhance the body's responsiveness, improve balance and reduce the risk of falls
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In this way, osteoporosis is not easy to occur
.
　　Increase sunlight exposure: The vitamin D in the Chinese diet is very limited, and a large amount of vitamin D3 depends on the skin to be synthesized after being irradiated by the sun's ultraviolet rays
.
Regular exposure to sunlight plays a very critical role in the production of vitamin D and the absorption of calcium
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Normal people receive at least 20 minutes of sunshine every day on average
.
　　Tip: Sunscreen and umbrellas can also increase the risk of osteoporosis in women
.
Usually when the outdoor light is insufficient, you have to apply a thick sunscreen or use a parasol when you go out, which will affect the synthesis of vitamin D in the body
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　　(6) Early diagnosis, standardized treatment, and reduced harm
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　　It is better to start treatment at any stage of osteoporosis than no treatment
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Obtaining regular inspections early and standardizing medications can minimize the risk of fractures, relieve symptoms such as bone pain, and improve the quality of life
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　　The prevention and treatment of osteoporosis must be carried out under the guidance of a doctor.
The prevention and treatment strategies include basic measures and drug treatment
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Basic measures include life>
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Adjust life>
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The basic bone health supplements including calcium and vitamin D
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Drug therapy includes anti-bone resorption drugs, bone formation drugs, and some drugs with multiple mechanisms
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Must be applied under the guidance of a physician
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　　(7) Self-test for people at high risk of osteoporosis
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　　Tips: High-risk groups should go to a regular hospital for osteoporosis testing as soon as possible to achieve early diagnosis, early prevention, and early treatment
.

The following questions can help self-test for high-risk conditions of osteoporosis.
Those who answer "yes" to any one of them are high-risk groups and should go to the osteoporosis specialist clinic: 　　1.
Have you ever had a slight collision or a fall? Will hurt your own bones?
　　2.
Have you taken hormone drugs for more than 3 months?
　　3.
Is your height three centimeters lower than when you were young?
　　4.
Do you often drink excessively? (Drink twice a day, or only 1-2 days of the week without alcohol)
　　5.
Do you smoke more than 20 cigarettes a day?
　　6.
Do you often have diarrhea? (Caused by celiac disease or enteritis)
　　7.
Do parents have a hip fracture due to a minor collision or fall?
　　8.
The lady replied: Did you menopause before the age of 45?
　　9.
Have you ever had no menstruation for more than 12 months (except during pregnancy)?
　　10.
The man answered: Do you suffer from symptoms of impotence or lack of libido? 　　Tip: Older and low-weight women need to pay attention to osteoporosis.
Doctors often use "thin old ladies" to describe such high-risk groups
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In addition, lack of exercise and lack of light are also risk factors for osteoporosis in young people
.
　　(8) Misunderstandings of osteoporosis
.

　　1.
Drinking bone soup can prevent osteoporosis
.
Experiments have proved that the calcium content in the same bowl of milk is much higher than that in a bowl of bone soup
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For the elderly, bone broth dissolves a lot of bone fat, and regular consumption may also cause other health problems
.
Pay attention to the diversification of diet, eat less greasy food, insist on drinking milk, and avoid excessive intake of protein and caffeine
.
　　2.
Treatment of osteoporosis is equal to calcium supplementation
.
Simply put, osteoporosis is caused by abnormal bone metabolism (the influence of osteoclasts in the human body is greater than that of osteoblasts, and the rate of bone resorption exceeds the rate of bone formation)
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Therefore, the treatment of osteoporosis is not simply calcium supplementation, but a comprehensive treatment to increase bone mass, strengthen bone strength and prevent fractures
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Patients should go to a regular hospital for diagnosis and treatment
.
　　3.
Osteoporosis is a phenomenon unique to the elderly and has nothing to do with young people
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Osteoporosis is not the “patent” of the elderly.
If you neglect exercise in your youth, you are often picky or dieting, and your diet is unbalanced, resulting in low calcium intake in your diet, thin body, and not rejecting bad habits.
The ideal peak bone mass and quality will give osteoporosis a chance to invade young people, especially young women
.
Therefore, the prevention of osteoporosis should be started as early as possible, so that the ideal bone peak can be obtained in the young period
.
　　4.
It is too late for the elderly to treat osteoporosis
.
Many elderly people think that osteoporosis cannot be reversed, and treatment has no effect in old age.
Therefore, it is a pity to give up treatment
.
From the perspective of treatment, the earlier the treatment, the better the effect
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Therefore, once the elderly are diagnosed with osteoporosis, they should receive regular treatment to relieve their pain and improve their quality of life
.