World Osteoporosis Day 2024: Everyday habits that can weaken your bone health, expert tips for stronger bones

World Osteoporosis Day is observed every year on October 20, to raise awareness around the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease. Osteoporosis is a metabolic bone disease wherein your new bone formation doesn’t keep up with the loss of old bone. It results from loss of bone mass and mineralisation leading to fragile bones and sometimes fractures even with minor falls, therefore termed as fragility fractures.

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Nitish Arora, Consultant Trauma, Limb Reconstruction, Deformity Correction and Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon at Medicover Hospitals in Navi Mumbai, shared that risk factors for secondary osteoporosis can be classified into non-modifiable and modifiable risk factors -

• Non-modifiable risk factors include female gender, increasing age, early menopause, certain genetic factors, medications and certain medical conditions (for eg; prolonged steroid use, Rheumatoid Arthritis).
• Modifiable risk factors include obesity, Lack of physical activities, inadequate peak bone mass, inadequate nutrition, unhealthy lifestyle which includes alcohol, obesity, excessive use of caffeine, prolonged use of over the counter antacids and steroids, all these factors can speed up the progression of osteoporosis.

Primary osteoporosis can be post menopausal (Type1) or Senile(age related) osteoporosis (type 2).

Do all the patients of osteoporosis have symptoms?

Dr Nitish Arora answered, “It is usually a silent disease until complicated by a fracture. People with osteoporosis can have a stooped posture, loss of height, or a bone that breaks much more easily than expected. Sometimes they can present a severe back pain with a vertebral fracture without any history of fall.”

Treatment of osteoporosis:

According to Dr Nitish Arora, prevention is the only treatment but yes, if you have developed osteoporosis, you can consult your doctor to slow down the speed of progression of osteoporosis. Prevention can be started as early as possible when the child is growing up or it can be started even in the elderly (to prevent the speed of progression) in the form of -

• Attainment of higher peak bone mass and density: Regular exercises enhances your new bone formation, makes your muscle stronger, keeps your weight under control, maintains the balance and therefore prevents injury.
• Adequate sunlight exposure and good nutrition which includes milk and milk based products, fox nuts, dry fruits, millets, ragi, eggs, oily fishes.
• Usually vegetarians require regular Vitamin D supplements as Vitamin D is deficient in their diet.
• Weight reduction: Obesity is one of the major risk factors for osteoporosis. It increases the mechanical loading on bone, decreases your Vit D absorption, releases certain factors in the body that predisposes the patient to develop osteoporosis.
• Regular Calcium and Vit D supplements as advised by your physician.
• Avoidance of alcohol, over consumption of caffeine and other unhealthy lifestyle habits.
• Do not abuse antacid pills. Have it only when required.

Dr Nitish Arora concluded, “Once you have already developed osteoporosis or a a fracture because of osteoporosis, in addition to the precautions advised above, consult your doctor for anabolic medications (deposits new bone) or antiresorptive medications (prevents the loss of old bone) which can help you in slowing down the speed of progression.”