Osteoarthritis Facts

Osteoarthritis is the weakening of bones,
which can lead to painful spine
fractures, a broken wrist, or hip breaks.
It's most common among people age
65 and older, so why should anyone
younger care?

Osteoarthritis can be devastating,
especially if it leads to a fracture of the
spine or hip in old age.

2
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Throughout your life, you constantly lose old bone and form
new bone. As a teenager and young adult, your body
makes more bone than it loses, but with age, bone
production drops off and bone loss increases, putting you at
risk for osteoarthritis.

According to the National osteoarthritis Foundation, roughly
10 million Americans have osteoarthritis and 34 million have
osteopenia (low bone mass). But osteoarthritis and related
fractures don't have to be inevitable.

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1. A broken bone
might indicate
you already have
osteoarthritis.


A simple fall that results in a fracture is the most telling sign
that you may have osteoarthritis, says Connie Weaver, PhD, a
calcium researcher and chairman of the department of
nutrition science at Purdue University. "Many times, people
just assume the fracture is due to the trauma and don't
investigate if they need to be treated for osteoarthritis,“

People who break a bone and have other risk factors for
osteoarthritis, such as a small build or a family history of
fracture and low body weight, should be especially vigilant,
she says.


2. Having diabetes
raises your risk for
osteoarthritis.


People who have type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes are
prone to weaker bones. "The quality of the bone they make
isn't good," says Diane Schneider, MD, a geriatrician and
author of The Complete Book of Bone Health. "In people with
type 1 diabetes, there is more bone breakdown, and in
people with type 2 diabetes, the bones are more fragile."

Medications for type 2 diabetes can also cause bones to be
weaker. Even extra body weight doesn't help. "We're finding
a growing connection between bone and fat," Schneider
says. "Being overweight is not as protective as we once
thought."


3. Being thin
increases your
chances for
osteoarthritis.


Having a small frame and a slight build means you have
bones that are less dense and more vulnerable to
osteoarthritis and fracture. Some studies show you may be
especially prone to developing osteoarthritis if you weigh 127
pounds or less, Schneider says. Since there isn't much you
can do about the way you're built, women who are small-
boned need to take charge of osteoarthritis risk factors that
they can control.

"You have to pay special attention to what I call the ABCDs
of bone health," Schneider says. "Activity, balance, calcium,
and vitamin D."


4. Not getting
enough calcium
puts your bones
at risk.


The fact remains that calcium is a necessary part of our
diets. According to the Institute of Medicine, women need
1,000 mg of calcium each day up to age 50, and 1,200 mg
of calcium a day after age 50.

Diane Schneider, MD, recommends getting the bulk of your
calcium from food, such as from milk, yogurt, broccoli, turnip
greens, and calcium-fortified foods, and taking less than the
recommended dose of calcium supplements.


5. Some medications
can hurt your
bones.


Certain medications -- among them, antidepressants,
corticosteroids and proton pump inhibitors -- can put your
bones at greater risk for osteoarthritis. Anti-seizure
medications, certain cancer treatments, and diabetes drugs
may also cause bone loss.

In most cases, the risk of osteoarthritis goes up the longer you
take these meds and the higher the dose. Before going on
any medication, ask your doctor about the impact on your
bones. If you must take one of these drugs, work with your
doctor to take the lowest dose possible, and discuss ways to
lower your risk of osteoarthritis.


6. After menopause,
your risk for
osteoarthritis
increases.


For women, menopause causes a steep drop in estrogen, a
hormone essential for strong bones. The earlier you go into
menopause, the higher your risk of osteoarthritis.

"Women lose the most bone in the first three to five years of
menopause," Weaver says. "They can lose as much bone as
they gain during puberty." Menopause, Weaver says, is an
important time to make lifestyle choices that protect
against bone loss; namely, with exercise and diet.


7. Your diet can
encourage the
development of
osteoarthritis.


Getting enough calcium and vitamin D is essential for warding
off osteoarthritis. Linda K. Massey, PhD, RD, a professor of
human nutrition at Washington State University in Spokane, says
studies show that regular table salt, not simply sodium, causes
calcium loss, weakening bones with time. Bones are about 50%
protein and bone repair requires a steady stream of dietary
amino acids, the building blocks of body proteins.

Many soft drinks and certain other carbonated soft drinks
contain phosphoric acid, which can increase calcium
excretion in your urine. And nearly all soft drinks lack calcium.
That combination spells trouble for women at risk of
osteoarthritis. Caffeine leeches calcium from bones, sapping
their strength.


8. A bone density
test can detect
bone loss.


Bone density is commonly measured with dual-energy X-ray
absorptiometry (DXA), also known as a bone density test. This
simple, painless test gauges bone strength by comparing your
bone mass to those of young adults of the same gender at peak
bone mass, using a T-score. A T-score of -2.5 or lower means you
have osteoarthritis. A score between -1.0 and -2.5 means you
have osteopenia, low bone mass. A T-score of -1.0 or higher
means your bones are normal.

"Women usually don't need a DXA scan until they're 65 and men
until age 70," Schneider says. Talk to your doctor about when to
get screened and about follow-up tests. The answer will depend
on your age, osteoarthritis risk factors, and previous bone density
test results.


9. Physical activity
protects you
against
osteoarthritis.


Weight-bearing exercises -- the kind that force your body
to work against gravity, such as walking, running,
dancing, and tennis -- are the best for keeping bones
healthy. The key, Schneider says, is to be active. "It doesn't
have to be exercise in the gym," she says. "You simply
want to spend more time on your feet and move. You
want to spend less time sitting."


10. Stress can act as
a catalyst for
osteoarthritis.


Osteoarthritis can be devastating, especially if it leads to a
fracture of the spine or hip in old age. "A spine fracture is
very painful and associated with increased risk of death,"
says Elizabeth Shane, MD, professor of medicine at
Columbia University Medical Center, and a specialist in
osteoarthritis and other bone diseases. "With a hip
fracture, you can't live independently. You'll either need a
caregiver or have to go into assisted living.“

Less serious in terms of health consequences is a broken
wrist, which would require wearing a cast. A broken wrist
makes performing everyday tasks, such as buttoning
buttons or preparing a meal, a challenge.


Hip Fracture


Osteoarthritis Facts

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