Introduction and Signification of Problem
Osteoporosis is bone condition characterized by a decrease in mass, resulting in bones that are more porous and more easily fractured than normal bones. Fractures of the wrist, spine, and hip are most common; however, all bones can be affected. White females are the most susceptible, but other risk factors include low calcium intake; inadequate physical activity; certain drugs, such as corticosteroids, and a family history of the disease.
Osteoporosis is considered a woman's disease, but the prevalence in men also increases exponentially with age. The rise in hip fracture rate occurs about 10 years earlier in women than in men. According to a research by the age of 90, about 17% of males have had a hip fracture, compared to 32% of females. Men have a shorter life span than women, so they account for only 21% of all hip fractures (Dianne, Peter, 2000).
Vertebral fracture prevalence in men is close to that in women. A European study showed a higher incidence in the younger men, raising the possibility that some of the fractures were not related to osteoporosis, but to trauma sustained during their working life (Dianne, Peter, 2000).
Etiology/Physiology
Bones are thickest and strongest when you are a young adult. After this, they become gradually thinner with age because of progressive loss of the protein structure and of calcium (Greendale, 2002). Bones stay strong by being used. People often become less active as they age and their hormones levels drop. Like other tissues of the body, the bones are in a state of constant physical and chemical change, losing and gaining protein and minerals, especially calcium, to and from the bloodstream. These changes are controlled by various growth and sex hormones, and alteration in the amounts of these hormones in the body affects the strength of the bones.
