THE PHARMACIST: The disease that's eating bones

It is known as a “silent disease” because Osteoporosis often occurs without any symptoms. But I am sure that you may want to know, what is this Osteoporosis?

It’s a disease that causes bones to become weak and brittle thus increasing the risk of fracture. Osteoporosis related fractures mostly occur in the hip, spine or wrist. It is the underlying cause of 1.5 million fractures globally every year.

The likelihood of someone developing this condition depends on gender, age, family history, and low calcium intake in their diet, excessive alcohol consumption as well as some eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa (self-slimming of the body).

To know if one has the disease, doctors will recommend that the patient should have an X-ray. It is also diagnosed by comparing the Bone Mineral Density. Also, other tests could be done to check for underlying causes that may lead to Osteoporosis.

Should I get checked?

Postmenopausal women below age 65 have risk factors for Osteoporosis. If you are this age and have had a previous fracture, you are at risk. You need to be checked.

A physician can scan a list of medical illnesses that the patient has, to determine if one of these conditions is associated with Osteoporosis. For women with any of more than 50 medical conditions associated with Osteoporosis, the risk is definitely high for them.

Patients diagnosed with Osteoporosis can change lifestyles in order to deal with the condition. Lifestyle changes include quitting cigarette smoking, reducing excessive alcohol intake, exercising regularly and consuming a balanced diet with adequate calcium and vitamin D.

They can also take medications that stop bone loss and increase bone strength. They can also take medications that increase bone formation.

A diet rich in calcium and vitamin D is very important in preventing and managing Osteoporosis. Adequate intake of calcium is the key to having strong bones. Adults up to the age of 50 need 1,000 milligrams per day. Beginning at age 51 for women and age 71 for men, the intake of calcium needs to be 1,200 milligrams every day.

The following food groups contain high amount of calcium and will help in decreasing the risk for Osteoporosis:

• Milk - A single cup of milk has 300 milligrams of calcium.
• Yoghurt & Cheese – A cup of yoghurt has just as much calcium as a single glass of milk.  Select a plain low-fat, low-sugar-content yogurt, mix in some fresh berries for an extra serving of fruit, and you’ve got a satisfying and healthy afternoon snack with almost 50 percent of your daily calcium needs.
• Sardines – Eating 3 ounces of sardines could give you more than 300 milligrams of calcium
• Green leafy vegetables such as bokchoy and broccoli are rich in calcium.
• Fortified foods such as fortified fruit juices and cereals contain high amounts of calcium as well.
• Salmon, Mackerel, Tuna – These fish contain Vitamin D and Omega 3 Fatty acids which aid in developing strong bones.
• Nuts & Seeds – Walnuts are filled with Omega 3 Fatty acids while peanuts & almonds are packed with potassium which protects against the loss of calcium in urine.
• Sunshine - It is not a food. But the body produces vitamin D in response to sunlight which is very important for the absorption of calcium.