With increasing life expectancy, osteoporosis will become a condition becoming more common. It’s a good reason to implement a number of simple preventive measures, since childhood.
The bone tissue is constantly renewed. Its mass increases until the end of adolescence, usually remains stable until the fifties, then declined steadily, especially in postmenopausal women. More on bones is important at the time of menopause and the subsequent risk of complications of osteoporosis is low. This means that the prevention of osteoporosis should be in reality throughout life, to preserve bone stock.
Prevent from childhood to old bones
Osteoporosis: the prevention during childhood and adolescence is important to ensure an adequate intake of calcium (1.2 g/d) milk and dairy products. This is the age that the sport is most beneficial, provided it is practiced in a reasonable manner. Indeed, among the daughters of intensive training can cause amenorrhea (absence of menstruation) and estrogen deficiency, source of bone loss. Anorexia nervosa, involving food deficiency and amenorrhea, is responsible for brittle bone development. Until menopause, prolonged periods of amenorrhea, signs of estrogen deficiency should be avoided.
As adults, we must be careful to maintain proper calcium intake (1 g/d), avoid smoking and limit alcohol consumption. Indeed, tobacco and alcohol act directly on cells that form bone and smoking is associated with earlier menopause. Also watch your diet, because salt increases the elimination of calcium.
Keeping your muscles against resistance
Exercise is an essential factor in prevention throughout life. The muscles in contracting, pulling on the bone ends, which stimulates the bone to strengthen it. All exercises are not equivalent.
The most effective are those that are made against a resistance (known as osteoporosis is the main complication of flights in zero gravity). Thus it is better to twenty exercises with dumbbells or elastic hundreds without resistance. It is important to work on the most fragile areas, especially legs, the fractured neck of femur is the main complication of osteoporosis.
Preventive measures must be particularly strict in cases of treatment with cortisone, the latter increasing the risk of osteoporosis.
It is never too late
At menopause, hormone replacement therapy retards bone loss. Studies have shown a decrease of 50% to 80% risk of vertebral and 25% risk of other fractures in the first five years of therapy *. In the absence of cons-indications, this treatment is recommended against osteoporosis. It can be initiated at any time, even years after the onset of menopause, and maintained a decade.
Tags: bone loss, Osteoporosis, prevention, treatment
