Why women face twice the risk of osteoporosis compared to men – Firstpost

Osteoporosis has become a significant public health problem in India, with alarming statistics revealing that approximately 61 million people are affected by the condition, 80% of whom are women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 30% of postmenopausal women globally suffer from osteoporosis, highlighting a pressing problem that requires urgent attention.

In India, the peak incidence of osteoporosis occurs 10 to 20 years earlier than in Western countries, leading to substantial impacts on health and economic resources. This premature onset not only increases the risk of fractures and related complications, but also places a heavy burden on health systems and families.

Dr. Aashish ChaudhryDirector and Head of the Department of Orthopedics and Joint Replacement at Aakash Healthcare sheds light on the condition, highlighting its prevalence among postmenopausal women and the elderly.

What is osteoporosis and why is it a public health concern?

Dr Chaudhry: Osteoporosis in simple terms is called hollowing or weakening of the bones or skeletal system and usually occurs most commonly in postmenopausal women and older men. Now, two major categories of osteoporosis, one is senile osteoporosis, another is postmenopausal osteoporosis, both are age-related, and also in women, due to menopause, there is a sudden drop in estrogen levels which is actually a protector of the bone hormone that protects the bone and due to its loss in the first 5 years after menopause it causes severe osteoporosis and is a public health concern because being a silent disease it is not easy to diagnose and most people consider generalized weakness bone pain as age related and then it goes unnoticed until the terminal event of a major fracture or after a trivial injury and then it leads to catastrophic complications.

So if you look at the data over the age of 50, every other woman has osteoporosis to varying degrees and most end up with a fracture and 1 in 4 men also have osteoporosis over the age of 50. of age. So it’s a fairly common problem, and because of the added calcium vitamin D deficiencies, it becomes more important to recognize it early and treat it well.

At what age does the risk of osteoporosis usually increase and are there early warning signs?

Dr Chaudhry: The risk of osteoporosis increases primarily in the older age group, especially after the age of 50, especially for women after menopause, and for men after the age of 50 it continues to gradually worsen if the patient or the older man does not take appropriate precautions. Yes, there are subtle early warning signs where most of the patient would complain of generalized bone pain especially around the wrist and spine and there is a gradual loss of height and there is also muscle atrophy and walking also becomes weak and fragile. So these are the common symptoms, the early signs of osteoporosis.

What are the main risk factors for the development of osteoporosis?

Dr Chaudhry: The major risk factor is age, gender, primarily the older age group is the most affected. women are more prone to osteoporosis than men. Then other lifestyle factors like excessive alcohol and smoking, use of steroids or some drugs like steroids, anti-epileptic drugs, cancer drugs and many other such drugs also cause a high risk of osteoporosis and , apart from that there are some genetic factors which are beyond control but yes it gives us an insight if the familiar tendency is there, one can start. Early detection or choose early detection and regular testing.

So, when osteoporosis is diagnosed at an early stage, it can be treated well.

How do lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise and smoking influence the risk of osteoporosis?

Dr Chaudhry: Lifestyle factors are the most important factors that can make or break bone. The diet, especially if it is not rich in protein, has a calcium deficiency and there is no vitamin D in the diet, and green vegetables increase the risk of osteoporosis because they are the ingredients of the raw materials for bone health. And if it contains excessive fat intake that leads to morbid or severe obesity that can indirectly affect the bone system. The second aspect is exercise, most of the sedentary people would not exercise much and the weight is also higher and especially due to the lack of exercise the blood circulation of the bones decreases and around the bones and thus leads to osteoporosis and therefore Regular physical activity, especially weight-bearing exercise, can reduce the impact of osteoporosis or age-related bone degeneration. The third factor smoking certainly affects the antioxidant mechanism of the tissues and also indirectly can cause predisposition to the development of osteoporosis.

Are women more prone to osteoporosis than men? If so, why?

Dr Chaudhry: Yes, women are almost 2 times more likely to be affected by osteoporosis with a higher risk, where 1 in every 2 women develop osteoporosis after the age of 50 and while in men it is 1 in 4 people . And the main reason is menopause, which reduces the level of estrogen, which is a bone-preserving hormone, and so because of the sudden loss of estrogen, there is a sudden increase in bone loss and thus causes very severe osteoporosis in many women.

What steps can individuals take to prevent osteoporosis, especially as they age?

Dr Chaudhry: So, mainly it is lifestyle modification, regular exercise, diet rich in
calcium, vitamin D and protein ​​that will indirectly prevent development
osteoporosis and also involvement in one or another physical activity, whether it is
yoga, jogging, running, sports, non-contact sports or any form of walking or mobility they want
further reduces the incidence of osteoporosis.

And then, on top of that, somebody who’s already in a high-risk group that patient
you should take regular calcium and vitamin D supplements according to your body
requirement and then all these steps will indirectly promote bone health and reduce
the chance of osteoporosis.

How important are calcium and vitamin D in preventing osteoporosis, and what are the best sources of these nutrients?

Dr Chaudhry: Calcium and vitamin D are an integral part of our bone system and to prevent osteoporosis we need a regular intake of calcium every day and vitamin D as well. So there are many recommended daily allowances for an elderly population or a middle-aged population from a range of 800 to 2 grams of calcium can be taken depending on the severity, age and other factors, and vitamin D is usually between 800 and 1000. units per day can help calcium to help absorb calcium and thus greatly prevent osteoporosis.

What types of exercise are most effective in strengthening bones and preventing osteoporosis?

Dr Chaudhry: Most of the time, light weight bearing exercises, simple calisthenics and cardio exercises, even a brisk walk, cycling, cross trainer, half squats can greatly affect the incidence of osteoporosis and also sports such as swimming, doubles table tennis or balance exercises. or yoga activity can also prevent osteoporosis

How does maintaining a healthy weight contribute to bone health?

Dr Chaudhry: Obesity is a direct precursor to osteoporosis, because it not only increases the load on the knee joints and indirectly affects the skeleton due to the overall increase in fat percentage, but also reduces blood circulation, reduces muscle mass, which indirectly reduces blood circulation around the bones and causes thus osteoporosis. So maintaining a healthy weight through regular exercise will go a long way in preventing osteoporosis in the long term.