Have you ever remembered your father’s upright and powerful body, or your mother’s enchanting and delicate posture? With the passing of the years, their temples are gray, wrinkles are piled up, their actions are slow, their backs are sore, their backs are humped, they are short, and even just one heavy load or one cough or sneeze causes a rib fracture …… You look at it in your eyes, hurt in your heart, lamenting the passing of time and the late death of your loved ones, unaware that the culprit of the above ailments is an endocrine disease – osteoporosis. Osteoporosis alters bone structure, decreases bone quality and strength, and thus increases the risk of fragility fractures. Let’s learn more about this disease, for the sake of our elderly, for the sake of growing up or aging ourselves. 1.Risk factors Ageing, women (especially perimenopausal Asian women), early menopause (under 45 years old), thin body size, anorexia nervosa or bulimia, low calcium diet, use of certain drugs (such as glucocorticoids, anticonvulsants, etc.), low testosterone levels in men, lack of exercise, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, etc. are all risk factors for osteoporosis. 2. Typical symptoms Osteoporosis may not have obvious symptoms in the early stage, and with increased bone loss, patients will have symptoms such as low back pain, hunchback, shortening, and are prone to fracture. Osteoporotic fractures can be a serious problem for middle-aged and elderly people. Osteoporosis can cause fractures at any site, with fractures most common at the proximal femur, crest and wrist. Fractures of the femur are particularly dangerous, with approximately 20% of patients dying within one year of diagnosis. About half of patients with femur fractures eventually lose their ability to live independently. Therefore, early prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis are extraordinarily important, and every patient should try to prevent fractures before they occur. 3. Preventive measures (1) Calcium and vitamin D are the raw materials of bone, and the intake of calcium and vitamin D should be increased on weekdays. Dairy products (including milk, cheese, yogurt, pudding, etc.), green vegetables (such as broccoli, spinach, etc.), seafood and beans are high in calcium; eggs, fish and milk are rich in vitamin D. (2) Sunbathe regularly and engage in light to moderate intensity outdoor activities such as brisk walking, jogging, etc. at least three to four times a week for 30 minutes, but do not engage in weight-bearing activities such as lifting and weight-lifting to prevent fragility fractures. (3) Quit smoking and limit alcohol; (4) Prevent falls; falls are the main cause of various injuries in people over 65 years old. Especially for patients with osteoporosis, a single fall may be fatal to the patient. 4.Treatment measures If you have the risk factors mentioned above, you need to promptly consult the endocrinology department of a large tertiary hospital to perform dual-energy X-ray bone density and other related examinations of the mid-axis bones (crest and bilateral hip joints) to clarify whether you have osteoporosis. Patients with osteoporosis need to take medication under the guidance of a professional physician, including basic medication (calcium and active vitamin D), medication to inhibit bone resorption, medication to promote bone formation, and some proprietary Chinese medicine. Remember to take your medication regularly under the guidance of your physician and to review it regularly every six months.