ASK US
“I often hear of people who have ‘brittle bones’, and I know this means osteoporosis. But what causes the phenomenon, and why does it lead to bone fractures?”
How do plants grow towards light? Why do shower curtains stick to us?
Osteoporosis originates when the tissue of the body’s bones is broken down more quickly than the body can produce new bone tissue. The condition is also known as decalcification, because the bones of the body lack calcium. The condition means that the bones become less efficient at resisting stress such as a fall or a blow. The degree of brittleness is estimated based on bone density, which is measured in an DXA (Dual energy X-ray Absorption) scanner.
Bone density typically reduces with age. From the age of 40 onwards, 0.5-1% of our bone mass disappears annually, and the process is faster in women past menopause. Everybody develops osteoporosis with age, but the speed of the breakdown of the bones is partly genetic. Doctors have also identified other risk factors that accelerate the process such as smoking, alcohol, vitamin D deficiency, and lack of calcium in food. Osteoporosis in itself does not have to be a problem, but because the bones are weak, the risk of fractures increases. Osteoporosis is often identified in connection with unexpected bone fractures such as in the forearm, or the spine collapsing gradually with the breakdown of vertebrae.
In Europe, doctors record a rising number of cases of osteoporosis. Since 1990, the number of spinal fractures have quadrupled in both men and women, and hip fractures have tripled in men.