Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disease characterised by
bone loss and changes in the bone quality that could lead to loss of bone
strength and fractures.
Osteoporosis is a ‘silent’ or asymptomatic disease as is
often only diagnosed by means of a bone mineral density test when a person has
had a fracture.
However, osteoporosis is a preventable disease. Here are
some tips:
·
Make sure that you take in sufficient calcium.
All young people from age 14 upwards need between 1000 and 1500 mg of calcium
daily in order to build up maximum bone density. That means having between
three and four cups of milk (skim milk if you tend to be overweight), yogurt or
cottage cheese every day.
·
Postmenopausal women over 40 should take in
about 1500 mg of elemental calcium per day. If it is difficult to make this
part of your daily diet, a good calcium supplement, that contains at least 500
mg of elemental calcium per tablet, should be considered. Milk, cheese,
sardines, tofu and green vegetables are all rich in calcium.
·
Men between the ages of 30 and 50 need 800 -
1000 mg of calcium daily and men over 50, 1200 mg of calcium per day.
·
Make sure that you get enough vitamin D. Generally,
most people are exposed to sufficient sunlight in order to produce vitamin D.
However, older people who spend a lot of time indoors often need additional
vitamin D. Use a soft margarine that contains a vitamin D-supplement or take an
oral vitamin D supplement – usual requirement 600 – 800 IU daily and contained
in many calcium tablets.
·
Additional magnesium may be needed by diabetics,
alcoholics and people who take diuretics. Nuts, seeds and grains are all rich
in magnesium. Chicken, fish and red meat increase the absorption of magnesium
and other minerals.
·
Lose the alcohol and the cigarettes. Reduce
alcohol intake and stop smoking. Research has shown that between 20 and 25
percent of men who drink four or more units of alcohol per day, suffer some
from of bone loss.
·
Exercise at least twice per week. Weight-bearing
exercises such as running, and resistance training, where you have to push
against your body weight or against weights, apparatus or elastic bands, are
essential for building strong bone structure.
·
Exercise moderately three times a week. Walking
is an excellent and easy means of exercise and provides the necessary skeletal
protection and benefit. Brisk walking for 30-45 minutes three times a week is
adequate. Resistance training may also enhance muscle and skeletal strength,
but must be performed cautiously in the patient at high risk for osteoporosis.
Remember, although treatable, the prevention of osteoporosis
is much more effective. This requires an understanding of predictive factors so
that the likelihood of osteoporosis may be judged, an awareness of methods to
measure bone mass, knowledge of lifestyle adaptations and drugs available to prevent
further bone loss.
Do not hesitate to obtain professional medical advice.
