osteoporosis

Patients in the study had a median age of 69, 32% were 75 or older, and 31% were women; 38% of the participants had atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat.

The researchers say only 15% of the heart failure patients with spine fractures were being treated for osteoporosis, despite the well-known risk of osteoporosis-related fractures.

The researchers also say that heart failure patients with atrial fibrillation were twice as likely to have spine fractures as people with normal heart rhythms.

Osteoporosis is a serious public health problem. Some 44 million people in the United States are at risk for this potentially debilitating disease, which is responsible for 1.5 million fractures (broken bones) annually. These fractures, which are often the first sign of the disease, can affect any bone, but the most common locations are the hip, spine, and wrist. Breaks in the hip and spine are of special concern because they almost always require hospitalization and major surgery, and may lead to other serious consequences, including permanent disability and even death.
To understand osteoporosis, it is helpful to understand the basics of bone formation. Bone is living tissue that is constantly being renewed in a two-stage process (resorption and formation) that occurs throughout life. In the resorption stage, old bone is broken down and removed by cells called osteoclasts. In the formation stage, cells called osteoblasts build new bone to replace the old. During childhood and early adulthood, more bone is produced than removed, reaching its maximum mass and strength by the mid-30s. After that, bone is lost at a faster pace than it is formed, so the amount of bone in the skeleton begins to slowly decline. Most cases of osteoporosis occur as an acceleration of this normal aging process, which is referred to as primary osteoporosis. The condition also can be caused by other disease processes or prolonged use of certain medications that result in bone loss. If so, this is called secondary osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis occurs most often in older people and in women after menopause. It affects nearly half of men and women over the age of 75. Women are about five times more likely than men to develop the disease. They have smaller, thinner bones than men to begin with, and they lose bone mass more rapidly after menopause (usually around age 50), when they stop producing a bone-protecting hormone called estrogen. In the five to seven years following menopause, women can lose about 20% of their bone mass. By age 65 or 70, though, men and women lose bone mass at the same rate. As an increasing number of men reach an older age, there is more awareness that osteoporosis is an important health issue for them as well. In fact, a 2003 report noted that one in every eight men over age 50 will suffer a hip fracture as a result of osteoporosis.

Dietary factors: It is important to that there is enough calcium in the diet for proper bone health. Healthcare professionals recommend calcium intakes of at least 1,000mg daily for everyone over eight years of age. Higher calcium intakes of 1,200mg daily are recommended for adults over 50 years and 1,300mg daily for teens nine to 18 years. Adequate vitamin D intake is also important for calcium absorption and to maintain muscle strength. Healthcare professionals recommend 400 international units of vitamin D daily until age 60, then 600-800 international units per day after age 60. Doses can be adjusted by a doctor according to blood levels of vitamin D.

Milk and milk products are calcium-dense foods providing about 300 milligrams calcium per serving. These foods also contain other nutrients important to bone health such as vitamin D (if fortified), phosphorus, and magnesium. Approximately 73% of calcium in the food supply comes from dairy products, 9% from fruits and vegetables, 5% from grain products, and 12% from all other sources such as dietary supplements.