Osteoporosis is a common disease, it is postmenopausal women – seven magic tricks to teach you to fight osteoporosis is a serious threat to the health of middle-aged and elderly people, especially postmenopausal women, the resulting fractures and other complications, in addition to causing great suffering to the patient himself, to society, family also brought a heavy economic and life burden.
It has been reported that the annual incidence of breast cancer, stroke and episodic heart disease combined is not as high as the number of patients with osteoporotic fractures among female patients. 45% of women with osteoporosis after the age of 50 are likely to suffer a hip, spine, forearm or proximal humerus fracture in the next 10 years, and 87% of elderly people older than 65 years old will suffer an osteoporotic fracture when they fall unconsciously. The annual cost to Medicare of treating conditions such as osteoporotic fractures is rising every year.
Women play an important role in the family and in society, and those who reach the age of 50 have an increasing responsibility to provide material and emotional care and assistance to both the younger and older generations. Taking care of themselves has a more important significance.
I. What is osteoporosis?
Primary osteoporosis is a systemic bone disease characterized by a decrease in bone mass and degeneration of bone microstructure, resulting in an increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture. The manifestations of osteoporosis include generalized pain, height shortening, hunchback, brittle fracture, and even restricted breathing, etc. Most osteoporosis often has no clinical manifestations, but once clinical manifestations appear, it often means that the degree of osteoporosis has been more serious.
Second, why are postmenopausal women prone to osteoporosis?
Like other tissues in the body, our bones are constantly undergoing metabolism. Osteoclasts attach to bone trabeculae and secrete acidic substances to dissolve and resorb the bone tissue under their attachment point, forming a depression. The amount of destruction of one osteoclast requires the workload of dozens of osteoblasts to fill it, just like a brick of a house is dug away, it has to be filled with bricks of the same quality, otherwise, the house will have fewer and fewer bricks. As age gradually increases, active D gradually decreases, parathyroid gradually increases, and sex hormones gradually decrease, these changes cause an increase in osteoclast activity and a decrease in osteoblast activity, which ultimately leads to fewer and fewer bricks in this house of our body. In postmenopausal women, in addition to the above factors, there is also a decline in estrone, estradiol and estriol, which accelerates the decline in osteoblast activity, reduces bone matrix formation and increases bone resorption, which puts our body at risk of collapse.
Third, how to fight osteoporosis?
1. Maintain a healthy weight
If the body mass index is too low, the parathyroid hormone and bone metabolism index will increase, which in turn will contribute to the reduction of bone density. The body mass index of our residents is within the normal range of 18,5-23,9. Body mass index = weight (kg)/height (m) squared.
2, pay attention to calcium nutrition
From the results of relevant scientific research experiments at home and abroad, high calcium intake is recommended in adolescence, menopause and old age. According to the results of the calcium balance trial, the necessary amount of calcium intake for the elderly should be at least >800mg per day, that is, to control the reduction of bone mass in menopausal women, the minimum requirement of calcium is more than 800mg per day, in order to achieve the purpose of treatment of osteoporosis, it is necessary to take a higher amount of calcium.
3.Appropriate exercise
The main goal of exercise is not only to maintain bone strength, but also to increase muscle mass, improve muscle function, and maintain good balance and strength. Weak muscles and poor balance can cause falls and fractures. Aerobic exercises such as walking and long, slow runs are encouraged. The most simple and easy exercise is walking, the intensity of which is about 50% of the maximum oxygen consumption. For elderly people aged 60 or so, their pulse number reaches 110 times/minute, that is, it is safe to exercise until slightly sweating; for middle-aged and elderly people aged 50-60, a walk should be within 30 minutes, twice a day in the morning and evening, with about 8,000 steps each time as the standard, and a rest should be arranged for about 2 days a week.
4, more sunshine
The best time for sunbathing can help the absorption of calcium, and the best time for sunbathing varies according to the intensity of sunlight and weather differences throughout the year in different regions. For example, in the hot summer months, such as July-September in Dalian and Qingdao, 9-11 a.m. and 3-4 p.m. are generally appropriate.
5.Prolong the age of menopause
The main cause of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women is the rapid decline in estrogen levels, and some literature shows that the incidence of osteoporosis is high in women with late menarche and early menopause. Generally, if menopause is less than 45 years old, you can use estrogen and progestin to establish an artificial cycle to prolong the age of menopause if your gynecologist excludes contraindications.
6.Good lifestyle habits
Reduce the intake of caffeine and alcohol, and reduce the amount of smoking. It has been reported that if large amounts of caffeine and alcohol are consumed, it can lead to lower bone mass and more fractures. Smoking has an anti-estrogenic effect, which hinders the absorption of calcium and promotes calcium excretion.
7. Properly assess your risk of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures
All postmenopausal women need to have a bone density test to clinically assess their risk of developing osteoporosis. In general, the more risk factors a woman has, the greater her risk of osteoporotic fracture. Risk assessment methods include.
(1) risk factors.
(2) Etiology of secondary osteoporosis.
(3) Medications that may reduce bone mass.
(4) Bone mineral density testing.
Major associated risk factors.
(1) history of fracture.
(2) History of fragility fractures in parents and siblings.
(3) Underweight.
(4) current smoking.
(5) oral steroid therapy for more than 3 months.
Other relevant factors.
(1) Impaired vision.
(2) Early menopause (<45 years) estrogen deficiency.
(3) Alzheimer’s disease.
(4) frailty and disease.
(5) chronic inadequate intake of calcium.
(6) low exercise.
(7) Drinking more than 2 glasses of alcohol per day.
Etiology of secondary osteoporosis.
(1) AIDS/HIV.
(2) inflammatory bowel disease.
(3) amyloidosis.
(4) insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
(5) Ankylosing spondylitis.
(6) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
(7) congenital violet stromal disease
(8) Malabsorption syndrome.
(9) Cushing’s syndrome.
(10) mastocytic hyperplasia eating disorders (e.g., anorexia nervosa).
Multiple sclerosis, multiple myeloma, gastrectomy, pernicious anemia, Gaucher’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, hemochromatosis, severe liver disease, especially primary biliary cirrhosis, hemophilia, and a total of 30 other diseases.
Drugs that may reduce bone mass.
(1) Aluminum.
(2) Lithium.
(3) antiepileptic drugs ( phenobarbital, phenytoin sodium).
(4) cytotoxic drugs.
(5) Long-term use of heparin.
(6) long-acting progesterone (intravenous)
(7) Glucocorticoids and adrenocorticotropic hormones.
(8) Thyroxine overdose.
(9) Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists.
(10) Tamoxifen (premenopausal use); immunosuppressants, total parenteral nutrition.
If any of the risk factors in the above risk assessment are present, then it is necessary to go to the hospital for some tests, including assessment of the need for calcium and estimation of future fracture risk.
The theme of World Osteoporosis Day 2013 is: Caring for Postmenopausal Women. About 200 million women worldwide are currently suffering from osteoporosis, and the prevalence has risen to the 6th most dangerous disease for women’s health. Caring for your bone health has become a very important part of postmenopausal women’s lives, so please pay attention to your health and care for your bones.