Osteoporosis: A Silent Disease

Osteoporosis is a disorder of bones that affects bones making them low in bone mass fragile and will lead to bone fracture. Bone fracture will easily occur as this disease cause the matrix inside the bone become weak and brittle.Bones can become so brittle due to activities such as coughing can cause fractures.According to Macgill (2015) the origin of the word osteoporosis explain the condition of ‘osteo’ is for bone and ‘porosis’ means porous that resulting in weakness. At this condition, the bone tissue is mineralized normally, but the production is not enough to preserve the normal skeletal architecture. 80% of women and 20% men of 28 million American are affected with the osteoporosis. Approximately, women with the age of 50 will develop osteoporosis. Thin bones are the cause of 1.5 million fractures a year. As in Malaysia, the statistic shows that osteoporosis related to fractured is the common health problem especially in elderly..

Osteoporosis is the most common disease of the bone and the incidence of this condition is rising. Osteoporosis is estimated to effect 3 million people in the UK. A decreasing bone density in patient, especially in those above the age of 50, leads to bones becoming weak and therefore, there is an increased likelihood of fragility fractures. This condition is preventable and treatable however, it is often left undiagnosed and therefore, has major cost implications on the NHS. (National Osteoporosis Society, 2013a)

Osteoporosis is a progressive bone disease that is characterized by structural deterioration of bone tissue and reduced bone mineral density(BMD). Consequences include increased pain, increased risk of fracture, loss of mobility, and death (Osteoporosis Canada 2014).

“Thirty-five year old Donna Duckworth is learning how to care for her newborn of five weeks, when she bends over the baby’s crib and feels something give in her back. The next day and the following week, the pain becomes unbearable in her back. She is breast-feeding and does not want to take any medication so she lives with the intense and continuing pain. Within a few weeks, she can no longer stand it so she goes to see her physician who orders blood work, does a complete physical and as a result, sends her to see an orthopedist who x-rays and does a bone density study. The diagnosis comes back as osteoporosis and it is found she has fractured three of her lumbar and four of her cervical vertebra.”

As generally stated in the introduction, osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder that involves the strength and integrity of one’s bones. The WHO defines osteoporosis as, “a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low-bone mass, deterioration of bone tissue, increased bone fragility, and its susceptibly to recurrent fractures.” 2 The most important factor to take into account when addressing osteoporosis is the mass of bone, also referred to as, bone mineral density (BMD). As bone mass begins to decline, typically in the older population, specifically postmenopausal women, individuals are at an increased risk for fractures.3 As a result of this serious condition, many people are affected by morbidity, mortality, and economic difficulty.1

Osteoporosis is a detrimental bone condition, the tissue in the bones deteriorate and thus the bones become progressively brittle which presents a risk for rupture. Osteoporosis impacts more than 44 million Americans and is linked to a suggested 2 million bone fractures each year. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the amount of fissures due to osteoporosis may escalate above 3 million by the year 2025. Osteoporosis is typically undetected and advances with slight warning signs until a fissure ensues. Effects of osteoporosis encompass height reduction and a curved upper back, anyone can have osteoporosis, however it is prevalent in elderly women and many may break a bone due to this condition. Recovery and prevention are vital in combating osteoporosis, though it may never be eradicated one can take measures to stabilize bone density and gain strength.

Osteoporosis is a degenerative disease of the bones generally brought on by the process of aging, unfortunately there can also be a number of underlying or secondary causes; however, preventative care and drug treatments can minimize the severity of this prevalent disease. Osteoporosis has been estimated to affect more than 200 million people worldwide (Bethel, 2015). According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, 9.9 million Americans have osteoporosis and an additional 43.1 million have low bone density.

Osteoporosis is often called “the silent disease” as bone loss occurs without any symptoms, many people might not have a clue that they have osteoporosis until they face a fracture from a minor trauma or fall, or a vertebra collapses. Physical signs include back ache, loss of height over period, curved posture, and ruptures of vertebrae, wrists, or hips. Osteoporosis can be spotted by a bone mineral density test or even a regular x ray. Without preventive treatment, women can lose up to 20% of their bone mass in the first five to seven years following menopause, making them more vulnerable to osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a large threat to the aging population. When looking at people over the age of 50 years old one in three women and one in five men are diagnosed with osteoporosis (Fisher 2011, p. 136). It used to be believed that osteoporosis was a condition that post-menopausal woman had but now we know that it is also in pre-menopausal women and men (Dave, 2013, p. 373). When someone has osteoporosis the bone mass is reduced and they have an increased risk for fractures and broken bones. Some risk factors associated with osteoporosis are age, history of trauma/fracture, low intake of calcium and vitamin D, backache, and low physical activity. It is a disease where the bone loses density. The bones need more calcium and mineral to keep

Osteoporotic fractures constitute a significant public health issue and are a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and the number of older adults admitted to the hospital (Johnell & Kanis, 2006). Being osteoporotic, aggravates the incidence of fractures in elderly. The demand for the management of osteoporosis is expanding, because of the increase in incident rate and evolving understanding of the disease (Kanis, 2002; Kanis, Johansson, Oden, & McCloskey, 2009). It was estimated that by 2050 the global prevalence of hip fracture will be increased by 240% and 310% in women and men, respectively (Gullberg, Johnell, & Kanis, 1997). Furthermore the projected number of individuals with hip fracture will be increased up to 6.26 million by 2050 (Sambrook

These fractures are one of the major causes of morbidity, mortality, decreased quality of life and impairment in men and women. The fractures of the hip are of major public health concern, because it puts the burden on both social cost and health condition. In each year approximately 200 million people in the world are affected by osteoporosis and 8.9 million fractures occur around the

Osteoporosis is a skeletal, chronic disease, which is characterized by diminished bone strength and deterioration of bone tissue, that results in increased fracture risk, especially in the wrist, hip, and spine (CDC,2012;NIH, 2001). In osteoporotic patients, bone mineral density (BMD) is ≥2.5 standard deviation below the mean for healthy young adults at the spine, femoral neck or total hip (Lewiecki et al., 2008).The disease is a common old-age problem and most prevalent among postmenopausal women and the elderly with high prevalence affecting 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men by the time they reach

Osteoporosis is a medical term used for skeletal disorder. Patients with this disorder suffer with decreased and decreasing bone strength and vitality; hence the patient is in risk for frequent fractures during their rest of life, also they are risk for disability early death with increased financial burden. Osteoporosis is recent days is recognized as major health issue in postmenopausal women as well as aged group in both sexes (Riggs, Melton, 1995). 50% of women who have crossed their 50 years are suffering from osteoporosis, or a fracture leading them to osteoporosis. In a pilot study conducted on samples of 483 postmenopausal women belong to age groups of 52 and 62 years, El-Desouki (2013) found the ratio of osteoporosis among the 52 year old women was 34%, where as among 62 year old women was 24%. El-Desouki stated these women are widely spread by Osteopenia. Statistics show, in Saudi Arabia, operations related to Osteoporosis are going up, and costs high annually, in 2004 reported as USD 12.78 million/year. According to statistics of Saudi Osteoporosis Society, only in 1999 femoral fractures resulted by osteoporosis cost USD 1.14 billion, and in the

Osteoporosis (meaning ‘porous bone’) is generally an influentially common disease amongst more than 1 million Australians. This disease influences issues that remain to be worked out fragile promoting a higher danger of breaks than in normal bones. Osteoporosis typically transpires when bones lose minerals, such as calcium, more rapidly than the body can replace them, causing the loss of bone thickness (bone thickness or mass). Osteoporosis is commonly referred to as a “silent” disease, as it typically has no symptoms and is occasionally diagnosed until the point when bones break or crack, leaving results of fractures. In Australia, the disease affects one in three women and one in five men aged over 50 years, particularly in the stages of menopause and lower levels of sex steroids hormones, for example,

Osteoporosis is described by the NHS as “a condition that weakens bones” and is fairly common, affecting roughly 3 million, with more than 300,000 people receiving treatment each year. Fractures are extremely common as the weakened bones are more susceptible to damage, even coughing may cause vertebral damage. Osteoporosis can be classified as type I or II, “both type I and type II osteoporosis occur through an imbalance between total skeletal bone formation and bone resorption which is sustained over many years” (Theobald, 2005), and are related to a lack of vitamin