Re: Basics Bone and Osteoporosis questions1) Where does osteoporosis happen in the compact part of the bone or
in the spongy part?
I'd suspect compact bone has a slower turnover rate than the spony
part.. the cancellous bone with its trabeculae. Hence interventions
will affect some areas quicker than others. Of course,
some medical intervention may not be wholely benign resulting
in "dead bone syndrome."
2) Why is that some bones are more porous than other bones for
example
the thighbone and the hip will brake in people with osteoporosis more
often than other bones.
Here again I'll assume it has to do with
the forces on the hip bone (femur) ....the head of the femur.
It is likely an area that get alot of stress give the
weight and motion in the area.
It is said that hip fractures from falls in the elder
may at times be falls caused by the hip simply
being so weak it failed and caused the fall.
Of course, the elderly become weak due aging enforced
immobility, sacropenia due to number too little
vtiamin D or the adverse effect of diabetes.
Local stress to specific bones apparently causes a
local response in the bone such that more bone is made.
Clearly the osteoblasts get the word though I am
not sure anyone knows the full story yet. Understand,
there alot of high level stuff written on bone
metabolism and pathology and give that this isn't
my field, it even isn't my continent, I will let you
sort it out if want by way of some PUBMED searches.
3) does this mean that only those bones have osteoporosis? or the
whole body has this disorder but this specific bones are most
effected
because of their fragility?
The whole skeletal system is effected. Plus,
people with osteoporosis often
also have ectopic calcification of the soft tissues due to
elevated PTH levels. This can be the result of
too little dietary calcium, too little vitamin D, and
too little vitamin K. The changes in hormonal milieu that
come with aging or pathology that often permits this
imbalance of resorption and formation bone has other
adverse effects.
And, you need to remember bone is made up of both mineral and matrix.
Too often the MD and their side kicks the nurses focus only on the
mineral
aspect during "patient education" episodes.
4) I have heard that about 10,000,000 million people over 50 in the
U.S.A. have osteoporosis, but how common is fractures due to
osteoporosis?
Since people with osteoporosis lose height and this lose
is the result of vertabral crush fractures, what do you think?
I say these little fractures are very common. On the other
had, if you only count the "big' breaks the numbers will
be different. The nearest book at hand estimates 1.5 million
fractures annually in the U.S.A. During their lifespans
the majority of women will have osteoporosis and a large
minority of men also will have osteoporosis. And even those
not counted will have bones that are weakening with age
due decline in bone quality.
Another thing to remember is that osteoporosis comes in
various forms i.e. active osteoporosis or inactive
osteoporosis. Osteoporosis can have it basis in
genetic defects, acromegaly, the use of anticonvulsant meds,
the use of PPI meds like Nexium, disuse, hemochromatosis,
thalassemia, liver disease, hypercortisolism either
per therapy or endogenous, excess PTH levels, too little
vitamin D (most people are not replete), too little
vitamin K (the suggested intake levels are wrong for
optimal bone health), hypogonadism in either gender,
hypoparathyroidism, partial gastrectomy, excess thyroid
hormone, too much vitamin A, and too little vitamin C.
Nor is this list complete rather I just got lazy.
5) Does the body produce it's own calcium or it needs it completely
from food?
The "body' does what it takes to maintain serum calcium levels
to keep the heart beating among other things. It will
raid the bone for calcium if need be. If there is enough
calcium from the diet, that is what it will use.
Understand there is no doubt a always some baseline
in bone turnover in healthy person to maintain
bone quality. Old bone even if it is density has
more cracks and has a lower bone quality. It is
less tough and more brittle even when bone
density is equal.
6) What is testosterone main purpose?
To raise IGF-1 levels is selected tissues some more
than others. Many of which have reproductive purposes.
This I suspect is not the answer you or
your instructor is looking for but it is the
most accurate answer, IMO. Understand
I am trusting my memory this answer so
you need to confirm its insight from another
source.
More true in men than women though women clearly
need some testosterone and other androgens.
In males, it is one of the sources of estradiol
used in the bones. In men, it in combination
with calcitriol helps to maintain cellular
differentiation aka prevent or slows the formation
of prostate cancer to a point (don't use
this comment in class as it is about 50 years
ahead of class room lecture and then only
at the 400 or 500 line number class ;-).
7) Do women also have testosterone?
Absolutely they should though some don't
due to surgical interventions.
It has opposing actions to estrogen.
It may help prevent breast cancer to some extent
according to some early evidence. It is
ito important to female libido and the feeling of
well being. Other androgens also
play related roles to some extent.
8) What is estrogens main purpose?
To raise IGF-1 levels in selected tissues some
more than others. Many of which have
reproductive purposes. I offer the same
warning here I did on my comment on testosterone.
Nor should estrogen be discussed as estrogen without some sense
that this is a simplification and hence somewhat
less than accurate. Recall there is estradiol,
estrone, and estriol and other various related metabolites.
Some will want to claim these are all the same in
a practical manner which is unlikely.
9) What is the main cause of osteoporosis is it because of by the age
35 bone starts breaking down more bone than remodeling or because of
other reasons like for women because they loose the important hormone
of estrogen?
Reduced estrogen levels are one cause of increased remodeling
as it inhibits the activity of osteoclasts when at higher
(youthful) levels. The race between bone resorption
and bone formation picks up
as the level drops and the resorption tends to win over time.
Also increased levels of inflammation and free radicals tend
to increase with age and this in turn tends to speed bone
resorption.
10) I know that Calcium and Vitamin-D intake is very important and a
deficiency in those can make a greater risk to have Osteoporosis, but
why not included also Phosphorus?
Most people get enough phosphorus from their diets. Indeed,
that is why the various calcium phosphate mineral are less
than ideal for calcium supplements. Don't get me
wrong, a person with a high aluminium hydroxide intake
will have a higher phosphorus/phosphate dietary need.
The current recommendations for vitamin D intake carry the risk
of being only very marginally effective due too be very low.
Recall the "new rule of thumb" that for every 40 IU of vitamin D3
the nmol/L serum level of 25 OH vitamin D is raised by 0.7
nmol/L when the person has some vitamin on board and when
they have very little the level may raised 1 to 2 nmol/L.
Note also people responses to supplementation varies
apparently due to genetics or absorption ability.
By the way a 100 nmol/L looks like a decent serum
goal according to some, while other are happy with
70 nmol/L and most people will have much less than this
at this time of the year here in the northern lands.
So the question for you is what is your yearly low point
in serum 25 OH vitamin D level and what is
your high point during the summer? Anyway it is
something to think about.
11) We know that people that are not active have a greater chance of
Osteoporosis, why? if they are not active so much there bone break
down much less and would have been logically have strong bone?
Inactivity leads to bone breakdown. It increases bone resorption
and decreases bone formation. Not logical, the body is
adaptive. It maybe said to have a use it or lose it motto ;-)
12) How does hyperthyroidism effect that it can bring Osteoporosis?
Thyroxine speeds both bone formation and bone resorption.
On balance the resorption wins at least with exessive
levels.
13) Why do some of us get stooped backs because of Osteoporosis?
Crush fractures in the vertabrae.
14) What's the difference between screening for Osteoporosis and
devices that diagnose Osteoporosis?
This is poorly worded and sounds like some junior college instructor's
hastily written take home study guide. Lets reword the question. "What
is
the difference between what is observed by the the current
diagnostic devices and the bone changes associated
with osteoporosis."
The "devices" measure are of bone density. But bone strength has
to do with both the bone density and the bone quality.
Recall I said bone is made of both mineral and matrix.
Try the search word "osteocalcin" find it relationship
to vitamin K.
Reader beware not all comments checked and rechecked.
Sources not provided. I hope my response was entertaining.