Osteoporosis

Every 8 minutes, someone is admitted to a hospital with an osteoporotic fracture.[1] Significantly increasing the risk of falls and fractures, osteoporosis is a relatively common disease affecting men and women in later life. Stemming from the Greek words ‘osteo–,’ meaning “bone,” and ‘porosis,’ meaning “passages” or “holes,” osteoporosis is strictly defined by the World Health Organisation as having a bone density of more than 2.5 standard deviations less than the average peak bone mass reached around the age of 20.[2] This decrease in bone density increases the chance of individuals suffering an osteoporosis fracture, which can lead to severe and chronic pain, disability, loss of independence and, ultimately, premature death. However, until such a fracture occurs, osteoporosis usually has signs or symptoms. For this reason, osteoporosis is often called “the silent disease.”

Symptoms

No evident symptoms until a fracture occurs
Fragile, brittle bones
Changes in posture
Weakened muscles
Bone deformity
Chronic pain

Causes

Primarily, osteoporosis is caused by bone demineralisation[3], which in most cases refers to a lack of calcium. Individuals with bones lacking in minerals are then predisposed to fracture because of their weakened state. Bone demineralisation may be caused by a number of factors, including:

Poor nutrition, particularly a diet lacking in calcium[4]
Lack of exposure to sunlight, which may cause vitamin d deficiency and limit calcium absorption
Prolonged use of glucocorticoids (steroidal anti-inflammatories often prescribed for respiratory and musculoskeletal disease) [5]
Tobacco and alcohol consumption[6]
High salt and high protein diet, which can decrease bone mineral density by increasing renal calcium excretion[3, 7]
Lack of exercise over many years[8]
Advanced age[9]

Any activities which increase the likelihood of individuals suffering a fall or fracture may also be viewed as a causative factor for osteoporosis.

Treatments

Coventional primary treatments for osteoporosis include:

Biphosphonate drugs, which help to reduce bone resorption and therefore maintain bone density
Strontium, which promotes bone formation while decreasing resorption
Oestrogen Replacement Therapy

Natural Therapies

In addition to the above, long-term use of the following natural therapies have demonstrated significant efficacy in both the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis:

     Controlled weight-bearing exercise, which has been shown to improve bone density in both healthy and osteoporotic patients[8, 10]
     Fall prevention, which may include avoiding slippery surfaces and steep stairs, carpeting problem areas, and ensuring lighting is adequate.
     Calcium, which helps to solidify bones by increasing their density, and accelerates fracture healing [3]
     Vitamin d, which aids in bone calcium and mineral absorption[3]
     Vitamin k1, which is associated with decreased risk of fracture and promotes skeletal integrity by improving bone calcium absorption [11, 12]

Products for Osteoporosis Treatment

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References

Osteoporosis Australia: “What is Osteoporosis?” <http://www.osteoporosis.org.au/osteo_osteoporosis.php> 2007: Accessed 23 May, 2008.
Glaser DL, Kaplan FS: Osteoporosis. Definition and clinical presentation. Spine 1997, 22(24 Suppl):12S-16S.
Metcalfe D: The pathophysiology of osteoporotic hip fracture. Mcgill J Med 2008, 11(1):51-57.
Nordin BE, Need AG, Steurer T, Morris HA, Chatterton BE, Horowitz M: Nutrition, osteoporosis, and aging. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1998, 854:336-351.
Canalis E, Mazziotti G, Giustina A, Bilezikian JP: Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis: pathophysiology and therapy. Osteoporos Int 2007, 18(10):1319-1328.
Felson DT, Kiel DP, Anderson JJ, Kannel WB: Alcohol consumption and hip fractures: the Framingham Study. Am J Epidemiol 1988, 128(5):1102-1110.
Massey L: Effect of dietary salt intake on circadian calcium metabolism, bone turnover, and calcium oxalate kidney stone risk in postmenopausal women. Nutrition Research 2005, 25:891-913.
Ernst E: Exercise for female osteoporosis. A systematic review of randomised clinical trials. Sports Med 1998, 25(6):359-368.
Riggs BL, Wahner HW, Melton LJ, 3rd, Richelson LS, Judd HL, Offord KP: Rates of bone loss in the appendicular and axial skeletons of women. Evidence of substantial vertebral bone loss before menopause. J Clin Invest 1986, 77(5):1487-1491.
Morris FL, Naughton GA, Gibbs JL, Carlson JS, Wark JD: Prospective ten-month exercise intervention in premenarcheal girls: positive effects on bone and lean mass. J Bone Miner Res 1997, 12(9):1453-1462.
Lanham-New SA: Importance of calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K for osteoporosis prevention and treatment. Proc Nutr Soc 2008, 67(2):163-176.
Bugel S: Vitamin K and bone health in adult humans. Vitam Horm 2008, 78:393-416.