When it comes to osteoporosis, no one will probably be unaware of it. In layman’s terms, it is a disease that reduces bone mass, makes bones brittle, and makes them prone to fractures. In Europe and the United States, it is reported that 30% of women and 12% of men will suffer from osteoporotic fractures during their lifetime, costing as much as $1.4 billion and $15 billion in medical expenses in the United Kingdom and the United States. A significant number of patients have insidious symptoms and are only diagnosed when a fracture is detected or occurs, hence the term silent epidemic. Do you know your bones? The human skeleton is not static. From childhood, through a balanced diet and proper exercise, the bones continue to build, grow and accumulate. 25-40 years old is the time when the bones mature and have the most bone mass. After the age of 40, the bones are lost due to unreasonable diet, lack of exercise, diseases, poor living habits, endocrine and other factors. It is like the relationship between saving and spending. On the one hand, in the first half of our life, we have to keep making ourselves richer by saving money, then, when we need money in the second half of our life, we will be more generous. On the other hand, regardless of whether we are rich in the first half of our life, we still need to find ways to cut back on our savings in the second half of our life to keep the savings we already have. As the savings in our bodies get smaller, then the savings in our pockets will also get smaller. Are brittle bones that terrible? The serious consequence of osteoporosis is fracture, the common parts are vertebrae, hip and forearm, among which hip fracture is the most serious, within 1 year after the fracture, 20% of people die due to various complications, and 50% of the survivors are disabled. According to international scholars, there were 1.7 million hip fractures worldwide in 1990, and it is predicted that by 2050, there will be more than 6 million patients, an increase of nearly four times, of which 75% and 50% will be in developing countries and Asian countries, respectively. China is both a developing country and located in Asia, with the largest population base and the fastest growing elderly population, which determines that osteoporosis and its serious consequences of fracture have become an increasingly serious public health problem in China. How do you know exactly how brittle your bones are? Bone density test is a fast, accurate, safe and painless breakthrough test, which is important for early diagnosis of osteoporosis, prediction of fracture and evaluation of treatment effect, and is considered as important as measuring blood pressure to detect hypertension and prevent cerebrovascular accidents, and more valuable than measuring blood lipid level to detect hyperlipidemia and predict myocardial infarction. The use of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to measure bone density at the lumbar thrust and hip is now internationally recognized as the gold standard for diagnosing osteoporosis. Are we losing bones? Be careful if you have any of these conditions: age . (especially ≥65 years old); a history of falls and fractures after age 40; a family history of osteoporotic fractures; early menopause (stopping menstruation before age 45); low body weight; shortening of height by 4 cm or 2 cm per year; chronic low calcium intake; smoking; alcoholism; excessive caffeine intake; prolonged bed rest; prone to falls; steroid hormone application for more than 2 or 3 months; suffering from hypogonadism or rheumatoid arthritis, etc. What can we do ourselves in the face of osteoporosis? Calcium is the main component of bones. Postmenopausal women and the elderly have reduced calcium absorption and increased urinary calcium excretion, thus increasing the need for calcium. Adequate amounts of calcium have been reported to prevent bone loss and reduce the incidence of fractures. Milk and dairy products are rich in calcium and are readily absorbed, so calcium supplements can be taken if the calcium content of the diet is insufficient. Calcium and vitamin D supplementation is the basic treatment for osteoporosis. However, for patients diagnosed with osteoporosis, this treatment is not sufficient and anti-osteoporosis drugs should be added. Insufficient protein affects the synthesis of bone matrix, while excessive protein, urinary calcium excretion will increase, is also not conducive to bone health. 2, exercise: mechanical loads such as the role of weight bearing on the bone or muscle contraction on the bone pull can help increase peak bone and reduce and delay bone loss. Exercise can improve the level of sex hormones, promote the absorption of calcium. Exercise can also enhance the body’s balance and responsiveness, advocate regular, moderate exercise. 3, correct bad habits: such as smoking, alcohol and excessive caffeine intake. 4.Prevent falls: Fractures in the elderly are often the direct cause of falls, and should be actively prevented. When a fracture occurs, surgical treatment should be used as appropriate. With China’s aging society, the elderly population has increased dramatically, the disease spectrum has changed significantly, osteoporosis threatens the health of postmenopausal women and the elderly, and also brings a heavy burden to the country, should attract the attention of the whole society, strengthen the early diagnosis of the disease, effective prevention and treatment is urgent.