Osteoporosis is often only thought of when someone is 70 years or older. However, you may be able to diagnose this insidious disease earlier, in both women and men. ‘Diseases of the bones, muscles and joints have received far too little attention from both doctors and the general public for years.’
Osteoporosis or osteoporosis is an invisible condition that does not hurt, but insidiously affects the bone microarchitecture and bone mass. More bone is then broken down than is made, making bones more brittle and increasing the risk of fractures, especially in the wrist, vertebrae or hip. A wrong fall can have major consequences for osteoporosis patients. In Belgium there are an estimated 680,000 osteoporosis patients; a number that will increase further in the coming years due to the aging population.
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Osteoporosis or osteoporosis is an invisible condition that does not hurt, but insidiously affects the bone microarchitecture and bone mass. More bone is then broken down than is made, making bones more brittle and increasing the risk of fractures, especially in the wrist, vertebrae or hip. A wrong fall can have major consequences for osteoporosis patients. In Belgium there are an estimated 680,000 osteoporosis patients; a number that will increase further in the coming years due to the aging population. In Belgium, osteoporosis is the cause of more than 100,000 fragility fractures every year, which occur spontaneously or after minimal trauma. The disease often accompanies menopause when the protective influence of the female hormone estrogen, which suppresses the cells that break down bone, is lost. But osteoporosis can also have a negative impact on bone health in men later in life. “My osteoporosis can be compared to that of an 85-year-old woman,” says 63-year-old Rudi, who was told at the age of 49 that he had the condition. has. “According to the World Health Organization scale, I have a very severe form. It starts off slow until you have the first break and then it gets worse and worse. The pain is caused by those fractures, which often do not recover properly afterwards’, he testifies. ‘You often hear men say ‘I can’t have that’, and I used to be like that myself. But if you break something as a man, it is best to ask your doctor for a bone measurement. Doctors often only think of osteoporosis when someone is 70 years or older, but you should always remain critical.’Osteoporosis is therefore not a disease that can only be associated with the very elderly. According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), from the age of 50, one in three women and one in five men will suffer one or more fractures during their lifetime. By 2030, a 23 percent increase is expected, especially in the number of hip fractures. Anyone who suffers a hip fracture is looking at a long recovery: one year after the hip fracture, 40 to 60 percent of patients are still not old. Doctor Michaël Laurent, member of the Belgian Bone Club and affiliated with UZ Leuven, emphasizes the need for more awareness about osteoporosis: ‘A recent Brussels study shows that 85 percent of patients with fractures due to osteoporosis receive no treatment. Diseases of the bones, muscles and joints have received far too little attention from both doctors and the general public for years. However, recent figures from the RIZIV/INAMI show that these pathologies, including fractures, are number one in terms of hospital admissions and the cost of our healthcare. ‘In most cases, patients only discover that they have osteoporosis after a bone fracture. Such a fracture is the result of a complex combination of several factors: bone density, age, gender, genetic predisposition, medications such as cortisone and hormone therapies, comorbidities such as rheumatism and kidney disease, smoking, alcohol consumption and little physical activity. had cancer and the medication for follow-up treatment can lead to osteoporosis’, says Anja (54 years old), who was diagnosed at the age of 50. ‘I never paid attention to it. No one, unfortunately. Four years ago I had an inflammation in my hip, linked to the fact that I also have scleroderma (rheumatic disease, ed.), and I went to the rheumatologist. He saw that I had a healed fracture, but I never felt or knew anything about it.’Anja also thinks that people should be more aware of the existence of osteoporosis. “A lot of times I think, ‘Wouldn’t you even come down for a bone test’ when I see certain people. For example, I was recently with people who go to the pain clinic and don’t know what to do. They’ve never been to a rheumatologist. There is too little talk about it, people often do not know what the disease entails. You should not hesitate to be examined if you have unexplained pain, especially from the age of 50. Such a bone measurement takes less than five minutes and does not hurt. I had the results the same day. If I had known earlier, I would have gone right away. Some people are afraid that other things will be found, but then you know that too. Get screened in advance, otherwise your bones will continue to break. And keep moving, even if you are in pain, because then the pain just goes away or decreases. Walking, for example, do it at your own pace. You see many beautiful things when you walk around.’ Exercise, smoking cessation, a healthy diet, vitamin D and calcium can go a long way to help keep bone healthy in many women and men with osteoporosis. Medical treatment may be needed to increase bone density and reduce the risk of fractures. to lower. Medicines for the treatment of osteoporosis are available by prescription in various forms (tablets, injectable solutions, infusions, liquid solutions) and can be administered daily, weekly, monthly, semi-annually or annually.
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