The Effect of Osteoporosis on an Aging Society

Osteoporosis is commonly referred to as the silent disease because many people do not realize that they have it until they are either diagnosed with the condition by a doctor, or they suffer a bone fracture.  The condition itself is a systematic skeletal disease that results in a thinning of the bones, and changes within the bone architecture. The skeletal thinning is largely due to changes in how the body is able to absorb calcium and remodel new bone tissue as people age; many of these changes are hormonal in nature. It has been estimated that over ten million people in USA have osteoporosis.

The thinning of skeletal tissue results in an increase in the risk of a person suffering a fracture following a fall, and it has been estimated that one in eight women over the age of 50 with osteoporosis will suffer a spine fracture in a given year, and a woman will have a 40% chance of some kind of fracture in her lifetime. The condition also affects men, 13% of whom are likely to suffer a osteoporotic fracture in their lifetime.

As bone generally weakens with age, and the average life span is increasing, it follows that the occurrence of hip fractures is likely to increase, some circles have estimated that the incidence will  double in the next 30 years. As well as having a significant effect upon the populations health,  osteoporosis also has a large economical cost to the taxpayer, with it estimated to add $4.5 billion to the cost of running health services.

As many people do not realize that they have osteoporosis until it has been diagnosed it is often the case that people are aware of the many preventative measures that can be taken until it is too late. This means that many people will need to rely on expensive medications to cope with the condition; many of which are known to have side effects. Some of the natural steps to lower the risk of getting osteoporosis include increasing the amount of vitamin D and calcium in the diet, and performing weight bearing exercises such as walking and gardening.

In conclusion, it is thought that by educating young people, many of whom are not aware of the  osteoporosis condition, about the simple steps that can be taken to lower the risk of getting the disease will result in a better quality of life, and a lower economical burden when they reach old age.

My name is Darren and I am a molecular and developmental biologist with a particular interest in calcium. I run the Osteoporosis Advice Web Site, which carries further information on the condition such as this feature on Osteoporosis Fractures

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darren_R_Sturridge