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Factors that increase a person's risk of
osteoporosis but cannot be changed include:
Age and osteoporosis
The risk of osteoporosis increases with age.
Osteoporosis can be seen at any age but is much more common in
in people as they get older.
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Sex and osteoporosis
Women have a higher risk of osteoporosis
than do men, but both men and women can develop bone loss
and fracture.
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Family history and osteoporosis
A person with a parent who had osteoporosis
is at increased risk of developing bone loss.
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Race, ethnicity and osteoporosis
People of all races and ethnicities develop
osteoporosis. However, African Americans tend to be at lower
risk than other groups.
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Diseases and conditions
A number of diseases and conditions are linked to an increased risk of bone
fracture and osteoporosis. Most clearly linked are results from a bone scan
showing you already have osteoporosis or low bone mass. Breaking a bone after
age 50 is another important marker for osteoporosis and is linked to an
increased risk of breaking another bone later in life. For a number of reasons,
rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes also raise the risk of breaking a bone. If
you have any questions about how your medical history affects your bone health,
talk to your doctor.
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Medications and osteoporosis
Some medications, like steroids, some anticonvulsants
and certain cancer chemotherapies, are an important part of the treatment
of diseases, but they can also cause bone loss. People who need these
medications should take them as directed and should also talk to their
doctors about ways to help protect their bones.
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Most risk factors for osteoporosis can be
modified to reduce risk, either through lifestyle changes or
through medication, if needed.
These include:
Physical activity and osteoporosis
Exercise is one of the best ways to protect
yourself from osteoporosis. Weight-bearing exercises that
work against gravity (like walking, stair climbing and weight
training) help maintain strong bones. Exercise also helps
prevent other diseases such as
heart disease,
stroke,
diabetes, obesity and
colon cancer.
Try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.
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Post-Menopausal hormones and osteoporosis
Post-menopausal hormones can contain different
hormones that are similar to the female reproductive hormones,
estrogen and progesterone. After menopause, a woman's body stops
making these hormones in large quantities. For women who are
going through (or have already gone through) menopause,
post-menopausal hormones can help decrease symptoms, like hot
flashes and vaginal dryness, and also protect against osteoporosis
and colon cancer. The hormone estrogen is especially important in
osteoporosis prevention because it can reduce bone loss and
increase bone density. However, post-menopausal hormones also
have some significant risks, like increasing the risk of breast
and uterine cancer. And, although post-menopausal hormones were
once thought to lower the risk of heart disease, it is now unclear
exactly how they affect the risk of the disease.
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Tobacco smoke and osteoporosis
Smokers have a higher risk of osteoporosis
than do non-smokers. Smoking may work in several ways to
increase bone loss. For example, smoking can change the body's
hormone levels and may interfere with calcium absorption.
Tobacco exposure also increases your risk of
heart disease,
stroke,
peripheral vascular disease (narrowing of the blood vessels in
the legs), emphysema, bronchitis,
diabetes, and cancers of the
lung,
bladder,
kidney,
pancreas,
cervix,
lip, mouth, tongue, larynx, throat and esophagus. For many
people, quitting smoking is the single best thing they can do
to improve their health.
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Weight and osteoporosis
The risk of osteoporosis is highest in thin
people with small bones and lowest in heavy people. Heavier
people have a lower risk for several reasons. The extra fat
most heavy people carry increases estrogen levels (which
protects against rapid bone loss), puts weight-bearing stress
the bone (which helps make them stronger), and can act as a
cushion in case of a fall (which protects bones from
fractures).
While extra weight can protect from osteoporosis, it also puts
extra strain on the whole body, increasing the risk of
diabetes,
high blood pressure, high cholesterol,
heart disease and
stroke.
Maintaining a healthy weight has been proven to decrease the
risk of cancer of the
colon,
kidney,
breast and
uterus.
When all this is taken together, the healthiest approach to
protecting your bones is not through weight gain but through
other, healthier approaches, like exercise and a healthy
diet.
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Diet and osteoporosis
Diet can play an important role in bone
health. To decrease your risk of osteoporosis, it is
especially important to get enough calcium, vitamin D and
vitamin K. Good sources of calcium include dairy products,
nuts, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, and calcium
supplements. Good sources of vitamin D include eggs, fatty
fish, fortified dairy products and breakfast cereals, and
direct sunlight (which helps vitamin D form in the skin). Good
sources of vitamin K are green leafy vegetables like kale,
greens, spinach, broccoli, cabbage or lettuce.
Too much vitamin A, in the form of retinol, can
increase the risk of osteoporosis. Try to keep retinol intake
between 2500 IU and 5000 IU a day. The best way to do this is to
make sure you don't consume too many foods fortified with vitamin
A (check the labels). And when choosing a multivitamin, pick one
that has no more than 5000 IU of vitamin A and has at
least 20% of the vitamin A from beta carotene.
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