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Page: Signs and Symptoms
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Clinical picture
Osteoporotic fractures are those that occur under slight amount of stresses that would not normally lead to fractures in nonosteoporotic people. Typical fractures occur in the vertebral column, hip and wrist. Collapse of a vertebra ("compression fracture") can cause one or a combination of the following: acute onset of back pain; a hunched forward or bent stature; loss of height; limited mobility and possibly disability. Fractures of the long bones acutely impair mobility and may require surgery. Hip fracture, in particular, usually requires prompt surgery, as there are serious risks associated with a hip fracture, such as deep vein thrombosis and a pulmonary embolism.
While osteoporosis occurs in men, especially elderly men, and pre-menopausal women, the problem is overwhelmingly prevalent in postmenopausal women.
Risk factors
Risk factors for osteoporotic fracture can be split between modifiable and non-modifiable:
* Nonmodifiable: history of fracture as an adult, family history of fracture, female sex, advanced age, European or Asian ancestry, and dementia
* Potentially modifiable: prolonged intake of the prescription drug prednisone or any other glucocortioid, tobacco smoking, low body mass index, estrogen deficiency, early menopause (<45 years) or bilateral oophorectomy, premature ovarian failure, prolonged premenopausal amenorrhea (>1 year), low calcium and vitamin D intake, alcoholism, impaired eyesight despite adequate correction, high risk of falls or recurrent falls, inappropriate physical activity (i.e. too little or also if done in excess), poor health/frailty. Coeliac disease can lead those with an otherwise adequate calcium intake to develop osteoperosis due to the inability to absorb calcium. Osteoporotic fracture may indeed be the event that leads to diagnosis that coeliac disease (which affects around one in a hundred people in the West) has affected the patient for many years. The effects of soft drinks (containing phosphoric acid) are debatable; soft drinks may merely displace calcium-containing drinks from the diet.
A strong association between cadmium, lead and bone disease has also been established. Low level exposure to cadmium is associated with an increased loss of bone mineral density readily in both genders, leading to pain and increased risk of fractures, especially in elderly and in females. Higher cadmium exposure results in osteomalacia (softening of the bone). An association with proton pump inhibitors has also been found: it is thought that reducing the level of stomach acid interfers with calcium absorption.
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Important notice:
The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other
qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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