Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease featuring a gradual reduction in bone mass. This will make a person more prone to fractures from falls or any direct impact upon bones.
Healthy bone matter appears as a honeycomb. The normal honeycomb matrix of bone becomes atrophied and less dense. Bone density at some point in our life begins to drop and the rate may accelerate due to lifestyle factors. Both spongy and compact bone may deteriorate over time. A typical bone density test uses X-ray imaging to measure grams of minerals such as calcium and phosphorous within segments of bone matter.
Current estimates from the International Osteoporosis Foundation suggest up to 54 million Americans are affected by osteoporosis and low bone mass, with over 10 million confirmed diagnosed cases. Eighty percent of cases are witnessed in females. Peak bone mass is achieved between the ages of 26 to 29 years of age.
After this peak is achieved, one may experience an annual loss of bone density. Women tend to experience minimal reduction of bone mass from age 30 until the onset of menopause when bone mass reduction dramatically increases.
Once bones have weakened to a significant level, common manifestations include:. In addition, patients with these medical conditions are also at higher risk of developing osteoporosis, as nutritional support for bone will be lacking:. These drugs have been directly linked in scientific study to increasing susceptibility to osteoporosis:. Bisphosphonates are a classification of drugs commonly used to treat osteoporosis patients.
