Mr. Zhang from Jiangxi asked: I am 76 years old and I often have back pain. The hospital in my hometown said I have osteoporosis and need calcium supplements. Is there any harm in osteoporosis? How can I prevent it? Doctor’s answer: Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease among middle-aged and elderly people. It is a systemic disease whose main features are low bone mineral content, destruction of bone structure and reduced bone strength, which easily leads to osteoporotic fracture. Osteoporotic fractures are fragility fractures, which can be caused by minor trauma or even no obvious trauma. In addition, pain, hunchback, reduced height and fractures are characteristic manifestations of osteoporosis. Prevention of osteoporosis is not the exclusive preserve of the middle-aged and elderly, but needs to be taken seriously by people of all ages. Osteoporosis can be improved mainly through diet, exercise and sun exposure. In terms of diet, eat more milk, dairy products, eggs, shrimp, fish, meat, soy products, etc. These foods provide high quality protein and are rich in easily absorbed calcium and phosphorus; try to eat less salt and moderate amount of protein, because the acidic products of protein decomposition and the sodium ions in salt are excreted while a large amount of calcium is also excreted from the urine. In addition, avoid alcohol, tobacco and carbonated beverages as much as possible to avoid the reduction of calcium and phosphorus absorption by the digestive system. In terms of exercise, you can choose walking or running and other forms of exercise in order to improve bone strength. In the case of elderly friends, it is recommended to choose walking or jogging, according to their ability. Of course, older people should also take measures to prevent slipping and falling, because falling is the trigger for osteoporotic fractures. It is recommended that postmenopausal women and middle-aged and elderly people who are at high risk for osteoporotic fractures have regular bone density tests. Keep abreast of your bone quality so that you can do a better job of prevention and reduce the occurrence of osteoporosis.