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من طرف al_zoubi الأربعاء يوليو 23, 2008 1:35 pmBone is a living tissue, comprising mainly calcium and protein. Healthy bone is always being remodeled; that is, small amounts are being absorbed in your body and small amounts are being replaced.
If more bone calcium is absorbed than is replaced, the density or the mass of the bone is reduced. The bone becomes progressively weaker, increasing the risk that it may break.
Osteoporosis means "porous bone." This condition develops when
bone is no longer replaced as quickly as it is removed.
Cause
More than 1.5 million fractures occur related to osteoporosis each year. Most people are unaware that they have osteoporosis until a fracture occurs.
The exact medical cause for osteoporosis is not known, but a number of factors are known to cause osteoporosis, including
Aging
Physical inactivity
Reduced levels of estrogen
Heredity
Excessive cortisone or thyroid hormone
Smoking
Excessive alcohol intake
The loss of bone tends to occur most in the spine, lower forearm above the wrist, and upper femur or thigh-the site of hip fractures. Spine fractures, wrist fractures, and hip fractures are common injuries in older persons.
A gradual loss of bone mass, generally beginning about age 35, is a fact of life for everyone. After growth is complete, women ultimately lose 30 to 50 percent of their bone density, and men lose 20 to 30 percent.
Women lose bone calcium at an accelerated pace once they go through menopause. Menstrual periods cease because a woman's body produces less estrogen hormone, which is important for the maintenance of bone mass or bone strength. Your family doctor or gynecologist may evaluate and recommend a treatment program of estrogen replacement therapy, calcitonin or other medications. To be most effective, the treatment program should begin at menopause.
