Osteoporosis: The basics

Osteoporosis is more common than you may think, currently affecting close to one million people in Australia with many more cases likely undiagnosed.¹

While there are numerous factors that can lead to osteoporosis, unfortunately it’s hard to detect. So, knowing the signs and symptoms can help you lower your risk.

Literally meaning ‘porous bones’, osteoporosis is the result of your bones breaking down faster than they can repair themselves, making them more fragile and vulnerable to fractures.

“Bone is a living tissue,” says Bupa Dietitian Heather Ko. Meaning, it’s constantly breaking down and growing back. “Osteoporosis occurs when there’s an imbalance and the rate of bone breakdown exceeds bone formation.”

“In healthy people, a bone can break after sustaining a severe fall,” says Ko. “However, in those with osteoporosis, a bone can easily break after doing something as mild as coughing, bending or lifting.”

Ko adds that osteoporosis can also affect the spine, leading to poor posture and even shortened height.

While it’s hard to detect osteoporosis before a fracture occurs, there are a few common risk factors that may make you more vulnerable. These include:

Your risk of developing osteoporosis increases significantly as you get older. In fact, around 20% of people aged over 75 suffer from the condition, while that number drops to less than 0.3% for those under 44.¹

This is because when we’re younger, “there is an equal balance between bone formation and bone breakdown,” says Ko. “It is only until after age 50 where bone loss accelerates.”

It’s estimated that 23% of females and 6% of males over the age of 50 have osteoporosis, making females 4 times more likely to develop it.²

According to Ko, this gender gap is twofold.

“Women tend to have smaller and less dense bones than males,” making them more vulnerable to osteoporosis, says Ko.

Women and people who were assigned female at birth are also affected by falling estrogen during menopause, which impacts bone metabolism, Ko adds. In fact, in the first 5 years of menopause, women on average lose up to 10% of bone mass.³

Other key factors for developing osteoporosis include:

• genetics
• vitamin deficiencies
• certain medical conditions and medications
• lack of exercise
• smoking
• excessive alcohol consumption.⁴

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to know if you have osteoporosis until you experience a bone fracture. So, knowing your risk factors is really the best place to start.

If you feel you might be at risk, “delve into your family history and talk to your doctor about getting investigations done,” says Ko.

Ko also suggests keeping an eye on your height and posture, plus when and how fractures occur.

If your doctor determines that you are at risk, they may order a bone density scan (known as a ‘DEXA’ scan). This is the “best way to assess your bone mineral density and to diagnose osteoporosis,” says Ko.

If you are diagnosed with osteoporosis, you may be prescribed medications by your doctor to slow down bone loss. You may also need to make some lifestyle changes.

Whether you’re at risk of osteoporosis or you’ve been diagnosed with it, even small lifestyle changes can make a huge impact. Here are Ko’s top tips:

Calcium is a mineral that’s vital for healthy bones and teeth.⁵

“If you are lacking calcium from your diet, your body will react by taking calcium from your bones instead,” Ko says.

Ko recommends maintaining a healthy calcium intake by ensuring you consume enough dairy every day. For most people, that’s 2.5 serves per day, but for males over 70 it increases to 3.5 serves per day and for females over 50 to 4 serves per day.

A serve of dairy may include a glass of milk, a small tub of yoghurt or 2 slices of cheese. If you don’t consume dairy, you might instead go for:

• calcium-fortified plant milks
• dark leafy green veggies like broccoli, spinach or silver beet
• canned fish with bones, such as sardines or salmon
• almonds, sesame seeds, dried figs or apricots
• legumes like chickpeas.

Vitamin D is another important part of bone health, as it helps your body absorb calcium.⁶

To boost your vitamin D intake, Ko suggests:

• exposing your face, arms and legs to the mid-morning sun for a few minutes each day (with sunscreen on, of course) or for up to 20 minutes in winter
• increasing your consumption of vitamin D-rich foods, like oily fish, eggs, milk and UV light-exposed mushrooms
• taking a vitamin D supplement if a blood test reveals that you’re deficient.

“Bone behaves the same way as muscle,” says Ko. “It will only strengthen if you place stress on it.”

If you’re a gym-goer, you can do bone-strengthening exercises like lifting dumbbells, using a resistance band, doing squats or lunges or increasing the resistance on a treadmill. If the gym isn’t your thing, you can also try:

• tennis
• jogging
• skipping
• dancing
• netball or basketball
• stair walking
• impact aerobics.⁷

If you smoke or consume high amounts of alcohol, you may be at a higher risk of developing osteoporosis.

“Long term excessive alcohol intake has been associated with lower bone mineral density and a higher risk of fractures,” says Ko.

So, lowering your alcohol consumption to meet Australian guidelines⁸ and quitting smoking may reduce your risk.

Visit Healthy Bones Australia for more information about osteoporosis, or call them on their helpline on 1800 242 141.