Osteoporosis Is Underestimated: Not Only Older People Are Affected

Osteoporosis or osteoporosis is an invisible condition that does not hurt, but insidiously affects the fine structure of bones and bone mass. Then more bone is broken than is formed, making the bones more brittle and increasing the risk of fractures, especially in the wrist, vertebrae, or hip. False falls can have serious consequences for patients with osteoporosis. Belgium has an estimated 680,000 patients with osteoporosis. A number that will rise 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 fine structure of bones and bone mass. Then more bone is broken than is formed, making the bones more brittle and increasing the risk of fractures, especially in the wrist, vertebrae, or hip. False falls can have serious consequences for patients with osteoporosis. Belgium has an estimated 680,000 patients with osteoporosis. A number that will rise further in the coming years due to the aging population. In Belgium, osteoporosis causes more than 100,000 osteoporotic fractures each year, which occur spontaneously or after minimal trauma. The disease often accompanies menopause when the protective effect of the female hormone estrogen, which suppresses cells that break down bone, is lost. But osteoporosis can also have a negative impact on men’s bone health later in life. Says 63-year-old Rudy, who was told at age 49 that he had the condition. “According to the WHO scale, I have a very severe case. It starts slowly, until you get your first break, then gets worse. The pain is attested by those fractures, which often do not recover properly afterwards. You often hear men They say “I can’t have it” and so am I myself. But if you break something as a man, it’s best to ask your doctor for a bone measurement. Doctors often only think about osteoporosis when a person is 70 or older, but it should always remain Critical.According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF), starting at age 50, one in three women and one in five men will experience one or more fractures during their lifetime.By 2030, a 23 percent increase is expected, particularly in the number of hip fractures.Anyone with a hip fracture looks forward to a long recovery: One year after a hip fracture, 40 to 60 percent of patients are still not very old. Dr. Michel Laurent, member of the Belgian Orthopedic Club and affiliated with UZ Leuven, on the need for more awareness about osteoporosis: a recent study in Brussels showed that 85 في One hundred patients with osteoporotic fractures do not receive any treatment. Diseases of the bones, muscles and joints have not received much attention from doctors and the general public for years. However, recent figures from RIZIV/INAMI show that these diseases, including fractures, are number one in terms of hospitalization and our healthcare cost. ‘In most cases, patients only discover they have osteoporosis after a bone is broken. Such a fracture is the result of a complex combination of several factors: bone density, age, gender, genetic predisposition, medications such as cortisone and hormonal therapies, comorbidities such as rheumatism and kidney disease, smoking, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity. Anja, 54, who was diagnosed at age 50, says cancer and medications to follow up on treatment can lead to osteoporosis. I never cared for him. Unfortunately no one. Four years ago, I had a sore hip, related to the fact that I also had scleroderma (rheumatologist, editor), and I went to a rheumatologist. He saw that I had a healed fracture, but I didn’t feel or know anything about it. “A lot of times I think, ‘Can’t you even come for an orthopedic exam’ when I see certain people. For example, I’ve recently been with people who go to a pain clinic and don’t know what to do. They’ve never been to a rheumatologist. Speaking of which, people often do not know what the disease is involved in. You should not hesitate to get tested if you are in unexplained pain, especially from the age of 50. This bone measurement takes less than five minutes and does not hurt. I got the results Same day If I had known earlier, I would have gone right away. Some people are afraid to find other things, but you know that too. Get a pre-examination, otherwise your bones will continue to break. And keep moving, even if you’re in pain, because the pain After that it disappears or decreases Walking, for example, do it at your own pace You see a lot of beautiful things when you walk around. Exercise, quitting smoking, a healthy diet, vitamin D and calcium can go a long way to help keep your bones healthy Many women and men suffer from osteoporosis Medical treatment is needed to increase bone density and reduce the risk of fractures. Prescription osteoporosis medications are available in many different forms (tablets, injectable solutions, injections, and liquid solutions) and can be taken daily, weekly, monthly, semi-annually or annually.