Osteoporosis Facts

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The facts about osteoporosis

Osteoporosis, meaning "porous bones", is a major cause of disability and handicap in Australia.

It can be a devastating disease with significant physical, psychological and financial consequences.

Osteoporosis involves a deterioration in bone density and structural quality, leading to weakness and fragility of the skeleton and increased risk of fracture, particularly of the spine, wrist and hip.

Bone loss is often gradual and without warning signs until the disease is advanced.

Osteoporosis is the primary cause of hip fracture, which can lead to permanent disability, loss of independence and sometimes even death.

Both men and women suffer from osteoporosis.

The causes of osteoporosis

There are a number of factors that may influence the development of osteoporosis, including:

Age - the longer we live the more likely we are to develop osteoporosis.

Hormones - oestrogen is one of the hormones that helps women maintain bone mass. There is a sharp decline in oestrogen in the five to 10 years following menopause and it is during this time that women lose bone two to four times faster than they did before menopause. By 65, some women have lost half of their skeletal mass. In men, testosterone has a similar role.

Diet - inadequate calcium intake or calcium absorption, which requires Vitamin D, is a major risk factor for osteoporosis. Excessive alcohol intake and caffeine also increases the risk.

Lifestyle - weight bearing and resistance-training exercise during childhood and adolescence may protect against fractures in later life. A sedentary lifestyle and smoking are important risk factors.

Other - family history is important as the upper limit of bone mass is genetically determined. Caucasians and people who are slim and have small bones with low weight-to-height ratio, can be more at risk.

Prevalence of osteoporosis

Prevalence of osteoporosis increases with age, with more than three times the prevalence in women than men.

One in two Australian women and one in three Australian men has osteoporosis.

The number of fractures is increasing at the rate of 4 per cent per year.

The prevalence of osteoporosis will continue to increase as the population ages over the next two decades - to 2.2 million in 2006, rising to 3 million in 2021.

Bone fractures

Around 25 per cent of Australian women and 17 per cent of men will develop osteoporotic fractures.

After one vertebral fracture, the risk of another fracture within 12 months increases more than four fold.

There is also a large increase in fracture risk after the first hip fracture. Research suggests that 20 per cent of people with a hip fracture die within six months of sustaining the fracture.

Diagnosing osteoporosis

Clinical diagnosis is if bone mineral density (BMD) is <2.5 standard deviations (SD) below the young normal mean (t score), or if there is an existing or previous fracture with a simple fall.

Treating and managing osteoporosis

There is no cure for osteoporosis. However the disease can be identified and managed.

Fracture prevention is the primary goal in treating osteoporosis and early intervention can prevent further fractures and significantly improve quality of life.

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