Even at the age of 30, the bone substance can become brittle – there is a risk of osteoporosis. But that can be prevented. So now you strengthen your bones
Osteoporosis? Older people are mainly affected by increased bone fragility! You think so. But it’s wrong. Because already at the age of 30 your bone substance can become ailing. And the total bone mass of a person, especially in the first 30 years of life.
In old age, a broken bone can be threatened by coughing. So that this doesn’t happen to you, you should start now to create a stable bone substance. How to do it, you can read it here.
Table of Contents
How does a bone change in the course of life?
Bones and muscles have one thing in common: muscle mass. Bone density is by no means constant throughout life. But rather it slowly but steadily decreases after growth in childhood and adolescence and a peak around the age of 30. From then on. People lose around 0.5 to 1 percent of their bone mass every year.
One speaks of osteoporosis only when this level is clearly exceeded and there is also a pathological weakening of the bone structure, i.e. bones lose strength due to a changed microarchitecture. The consequence is a higher susceptibility to bone fractures – a typical aging phenomenon. Which in rare cases can also occur at a young age.
What exactly is osteoporosis?
To understand this, first a little bone know-how: Both the build-up and breakdown of bone tissue are brought about by special bone cells. The osteoclasts, and osteoblasts. Osteoblasts are responsible for building bone structures. While osteoclasts break them down. Osteoblasts anchor basic bone substances on the surface of existing bone and then ensure its mineralization.
The osteocytes also arise from the osteoblasts. These are built into the bone matrix, on the one hand, to maintain the bone structure and on the other hand to ensure a healthy calcium content. As part of special processes, osteoclasts cause enzymes to break down the basic bone substance.
In osteoporosis, the interaction between osteocytes, blasts, and clasts is disrupted. According to current studies, this disorder can set in at around 25 years of age due to a shortened lifespan of the bone cells.
How does osteoporosis arise?
The exact cause has not yet been clearly clarified. Especially not in men. With women, the gain in knowledge is a little bigger – at least we now know for sure that the reduced release of estrogen after menopause is related to the development of the disease.
With the permanent absence of menstrual bleeding. The level of estrogen falls, and this leads to increased activity of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. At the same time, the lifespan of the osteoblasts is shortened, while that of the osteoclasts is lengthened.
In addition, the body prefers to break down bone trabeculae that have already become thinner. These structures are thus completely lost since new bone formation is only possible on structures that are already there. After menopause, the body increases the net breakdown of the trabeculae. The first thing to do is to dismantle the bone structures with the least static load. These processes lead to a loss of bone tissue. Especially in the areas of the spine, chest, and pelvis.
Are there different forms of the disease?
Depending on the causes, a distinction is made between primary and secondary forms of osteoporosis. Primary osteoporosis is present when it is the direct result of a (hormonal) disorder in the body. Secondary osteoporosis refers to forms that have been caused as a result of another disease or by certain living conditions.
1. Primary osteoporosis
In Germany, around 9 percent of the total population suffers from primary osteoporosis. This variant is one of the most common skeletal diseases. In many of those affected. It begins with diffuse back pain. Especially in the lumbar spine. In addition to postmenopausal osteoporosis. Primary osteoporosis includes juvenile osteoporosis in children and adolescents as well as old age osteoporosis. Primary osteoporosis is triggered by changes in the activity of messenger substances such as cytokines, hormones, or growth hormones. Cytokines are proteins that influence how quickly and how intensely other cells grow or multiply.
Age-related osteoporosis develops due to an age-related decrease in bone density: osteoblasts lose activity. Coupled with a malfunction of the thyroid gland due to declining kidney function. What is noticeable about old-age osteoporosis is that the decrease in bone mass (visible in the X-ray as a brightening) is distributed over the entire body and is not limited to the spine and extremities, as is the case with postmenopausal osteoporosis.
2. Secondary osteoporosis
Secondary osteoporosis develops with previous illnesses. For example in the case of a thyroid malfunction. As a side effect of certain medications such as glucocorticoids or with heavy alcohol consumption. Inactivity osteoporosis. Which results from long-term lack of exercise, is also a secondary form. The cause can also be nutritional disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. Which are associated with a permanent deficiency in minerals (such as calcium, phosphate) and protein.
Inactivity osteoporosis results in atrophy (bone breakdown) due to a lack of exercise and the resulting reduced stress on the bone structures. For example, being bedridden for 4 months would mean the loss of 15 percent of the total bone mass. This happens because the attachment and remodeling of the bones are directly influenced by mechanical stress on the structures. This does not weaken the bones but strengthens them. But more on that later.
How will I know if I have osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis often begins with acute or chronic back pain in the lumbar spine, which is accompanied by severe muscle tension. Often, lateral movements of the upper body are painful, and if you look closely you can see individual folds on the back that look like a Christmas tree when taken together – the so-called Christmas tree phenomenon.
Many sufferers are only diagnosed with osteoporosis when they are diagnosed with a vertebral body fracture after prolonged back pain that has arisen unnoticed, for example by simply bending over. In the X-ray, you can often see the wedge-shaped vertebrae that are so characteristic of osteoporosis and a strong inclination of the upper body in the thoracic spine (breast kyphosis, or colloquially: a hump).
Also noticeable is a loss of height of up to 10 centimeters without causing pain. The loss of size means that the volume of the rib cage also becomes smaller. This can affect breathing.
How is osteoporosis diagnosed?
Orthopaedists can see the decrease in bone density on x-rays of the thoracic and lumbar spine. A bone density analysis provides additional information. Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) or dual X-ray absorptiometry are used for this purpose.
What are the phases of the disease in osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is divided into 3 stages according to its time course:
- Osteopenia (low bone mass), early stage of osteoporosis
- Fractured Osteoporosis Manifestos
- Osteoporosis with fractures that are not the result of an accident or other injury
Additional blood tests, x-rays, a thorough medical history taking into account old fractures and the general constitution, as well as regular follow-up checks, are essential for an accurate diagnosis.
What are the treatment options for osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis often begins with acute or chronic back pain in the lumbar spine. Which is accompanied by severe muscle tension. Often, lateral movements of the upper body are painful. And if you look closely you can see individual folds on the back that look like a Christmas tree when taken together – the so-called Christmas tree phenomenon.
Many sufferers are only diagnosed with osteoporosis when they are diagnosed with a vertebral body fracture after prolonged back pain that has arisen unnoticed. For example by simply bending over. In the X-ray, you can often see the wedge-shaped vertebrae that are so characteristic of osteoporosis and a strong inclination of the upper body in the thoracic spine.
Also noticeable is a loss of height of up to 10 centimeters without causing pain. The loss of size means that the volume of the rib cage also becomes smaller. This can affect breathing.
