Risk Factors and Symptoms of Osteoporosis

As promised in the previous article, we will discuss osteoporosis's risk factors and symptoms more this time. From the previous article, we already know that the prevalence of osteoporosis in Indonesia is relatively high, where some risk factors are gender and age. At the same time, some symptoms are stooped posture and susceptibility to bone injuries. If we recall, osteoporosis or bone loss is a bone disease characterized by decreased bone density and quality so that bones become brittle and break more easily. The following is a complete list of risk factors and symptoms of osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis Risk Factors

In addition to the risk factors in the form of gender and age that we can know from the results of health surveys, the following are other risk factors for osteoporosis:

1. Body mass index (BMI) below or equal to nineteen.
2. People with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.
3. Lifestyle, such as smoking, consuming alcoholic beverages, and excessive carbonated drinks.
4. Not exercising or living a sedentary lifestyle for long periods.
5. Asian or Caucasian ethnicity.
6. Smaller body size can cause reduced bone mass levels and impact bone density with age.
7. Malabsorption, or the inability of the intestine to absorb nutrients from food, is common in celiac and Crohn's disease.
8. History of gastrointestinal surgery causing reduced stomach size and ability to absorb calcium.
9. History of consumption of drugs that affect hormone levels, such as treatment for prostate cancer and use of corticosteroid drugs.
10. History of parents who have experienced groin fractures or parents who have osteoporosis.

Symptoms of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is included in the disease with no symptoms (silent disease). Usually, people realize that they have osteoporosis when a bone fracture occurs. Hence, the symptoms that can be seen are the signs that appear due to the fracture. Some of the symptoms of osteoporosis include:

1. Stooped posture, as often seen in the elderly.
2. Continuous back pain over a long period
3. Reducing height which is an awkward posture, can also cause
4. Frequent injuries or bone fractures usually occur in the spine, wrists, arms, and groin.

How to Determine the Severity of Osteoporosis?

The World Health Organization (2004) determines the criteria regarding the severity of bone loss based on a value called the T-score. This T-score value is obtained from an examination of bone mineral density. The following is the T-score classification used to determine osteoporosis status:

• If the T-score is <-2.5, it is included in the osteoporosis category.
• If the T-score is <-1, it is included in the osteopenia category (early osteoporosis).
• If the T-score is in the range from -1 to +1, then it is classified as normal.

After reading the explanation above and knowing the risk factors, symptoms, and how to determine the severity of osteoporosis, hopefully, Ladies can be more aware of the signs of osteoporosis! Let's keep reading articles on Fitie to improve your health knowledge.

Source:

Pusat Data dan Informasi. (2019). InfoDATIN: Situasi Osteoporosis di Indonesia. Jakarta: Kementerian Kesehatan RI.