Postmenopausal osteoporosis is mainly caused by a dramatic decrease in estrogen levels in women, and is a disease characterized by a decrease in bone mass and degenerative changes in the microstructure of bone tissue, leading to increased bone fragility and fracture incidence.
Clinical manifestations of osteoporosis.
1, pain: the most common site is low back pain, others such as joint pain in the limbs, heel pain and radiating pain, numbness and tingling sensation in some limbs.
2, height shortening or hunchback: usually the more severe the osteoporosis, the lower the position of the apex of the hunchback, and the more severe the hunchback.
3. Fracture: Due to the increased brittleness of bones in patients with osteoporosis, minor external force can lead to fracture. Common sites include the thoracolumbar spine, the distal radius, and the proximal femur. Studies have shown that in the elderly, various types of fractures indicate an increased risk of death, especially when re-fractures occur.
Risk assessment
Risk factors.
1, elderly.
2. women, with ovarian insufficiency or menopause.
3, history of fracture.
4, low body mass index.
5, long-term use of steroid hormones.
6, with secondary osteoporosis.
7, family history of osteoporosis or parents with a history of hip fracture.
8, smoking, drinking alcohol, coffee, cola, soft drinks, and insufficient calcium intake.
Diagnostic criteria
For people at high risk of osteoporosis without fracture, testing bone mineral density (BMD) is the only practical and valuable diagnostic indicator when no bone biopsy has been performed to determine its microstructure.
BMD between the mean value of peak bone mass ± 1 standard deviation in normal young women (T ≥ -1.0).
BMD between 1-2.5 standard deviations (-2.5) below the mean value of peak bone mass in normal young women.