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Osteoporosis is stereotypically associated with the disease of old ladies. Meanwhile, it is a disease of civilization, it develops with the aging of the society. In 2010, the number of people with an osteoporotic fracture in Poland was over 2 million. It is estimated that it will double in 2035. Every fifth woman and every third man die within a year due to complications after a hip fracture. What should you know about osteoporosis? We talk to Dr. Maria Rell-Bakalarska, MD, a rheumatologist from the Rheuma Medicus Center for Rheumatology and Osteoporosis in Warsaw.
- – Osteoporosis is dangerous because it is asymptomatic for a very long time. If we lose our bones and make them weaker, we absolutely do not feel it. We usually find out that something disturbing is happening only after the first fracture – explains the expert
- Few people know that osteoporosis is a fatal disease. In 2017, more than 4 people died from complications after a hip fracture. For comparison, around 2 people died in car accidents at that time. people
- How to protect yourself against osteoporosis? Dr. Rell-Bakalarska advises: – You need to take calcium and vitamin D3 in the right amount, but physical activity is also very important
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
Magda Zmna, Medonet: I must admit that you don’t think too much about osteoporosis. Stereotypically, it affects older women, is associated with fractures, but does not seem to be particularly bothersome. Meanwhile, it turns out that not only women but also men get sick, and complications of fractures can lead to death. Why is osteoporosis so dangerous?
Dr. Maria Rell-Bakalarska, rheumatologist: Osteoporosis is a disease of civilization. As the population ages, the risk of getting sick increases. For women, the risk of osteoporosis increases after the age of 50, while in men this process usually begins later, after the age of 60. Osteoporosis is dangerous because it is asymptomatic for a very long time. If we lose our bones and make them weaker, we absolutely do not feel it. We usually find out that something disturbing is happening only after the first fracture. This is the first clinical symptom of osteoporosis. Unfortunately, quite late.
Does this mean that we must “wait” to be broken? Can’t diagnose the disease in advance?
The test that allows us to diagnose osteoporosis is a densitometric test, i.e. a bone mineral density test. This study is 25 years old and not very sensitive. The problem is that fractures are made both in the so-called densitometric threshold of osteoporosis, but some fractures are performed under conditions known as osteopenia. This will not be detected by densitometry.
Apparently there are fractures that don’t hurt?
Yes, some fractures are completely painless. We may not know about it at all. Such fractures include vertebral fractures. Over 50 percent this type of fracture is painless and missed.
Osteopenia is a decrease in bone mineral density while maintaining the ability to properly mineralize. Untreated, it can lead to the development of osteoporosis
Can you tell when a fracture has occurred?
Yes, because then the height of the body changes. This can be seen in people over 50. If, for example, in the age of 20, the height of the body was a certain number of centimeters, and when measured after the age of 50, it turns out that it is e.g. 4 cm shorter, this is the basis for diagnosis. So there are two important premises that absolutely should lead to the diagnosis of osteoporosis – low-energy fractures or reduced height.
Further part under the video:
The problem with fractures is not only a matter of pain. With osteoporosis, the so-called fracture cascades. It starts with the first, most often it is a wrist fracture or the aforementioned vertebral fracture. Within a year from the first fracture, the chance of another fracture increases by over 80%. Each fracture has complications. So we really should treat osteoporosis before that first fracture occurs. The most serious fracture is the hip fracture. It was for this fracture that the frequency of health consequences in the form of death or disability was determined.
Low-energy fractures are fractures disproportionate to the forces causing them. They arise, for example, as a result of a fall from one’s own height. They most often affect the forearm, the thoracic and lumbar spine, and the proximal femoral epiphysis.
I read that in 2017, more than 4 people died from complications after a hip fracture. For comparison, around 2 people died in car accidents at that time. people. Why is this fracture so dangerous?
According to medical data, the death rate after hip fracture is about 20%. in women and over 30 percent. in men within one year of fracture. In some cases, death occurs right after the fracture. Complications can be different – embolism after a fracture, immobilization, sepsis, cardio-respiratory failure. This is a very complex problem and only shows that we should strive to start treating osteoporosis before the first fracture occurs.
Do we have the ability to prevent osteoporosis at all?
We work on the condition of our bones throughout our lives. In fact, there are always changes in bone composition, where at some point the processes of bone resorption, i.e. bone loss, occur predominantly. How to protect yourself against osteoporosis? You need to get the right amount of calcium and vitamin D3, but exercise is also very important. In this way, we build muscle mass and reduce the risk of falling. When osteoporosis is diagnosed, we use drugs, not supplements. We treat the disease!
You can buy diagnostic tests for osteoporosis for people of all ages from Medonet Market.
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- Polish women are afraid of osteoporosis, but they don’t get tested
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- Life-saving research – examine your bones and don’t break
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