Osteoporosis: The Silent Disease of Bones

Questions about osteoporosis, which becomes more common in women especially after menopause and, if left untreated, adversely affects the healthy aging process, were answered on 20 October, World Osteoporosis Day, by Prof. Dr. Bekir Sami Uyanık, Head of the Clinical Laboratories Department at Hisar Hospital Intercontinental…

Drawing attention to osteoporosis, commonly known as bone thinning, as a silent and insidious disease that thins bones over time and makes them more prone to fracture, Prof. Dr. Uyanık said: “Osteoporosis is a disease that can be prevented and treated with early diagnosis. If neglected, it can lead to fractures and deformities. Bone is a living tissue that maintains dynamic balance by continuously renewing itself. When this balance is disrupted due to diet, hormonal changes or other diseases, bone loses the minerals that provide its strength, bone density decreases, and a porous, spongy structure emerges. Because people at risk of osteoporosis are usually unaware of the disease until a fracture occurs in the hip, vertebrae or wrists, it is also called the “silent disease.” Fractures caused by osteoporosis, which is more common in women over 50, lead to severe pain and long-term or permanent disability, worsen patients’ general health and reduce their quality of life, and also increase the risk of death. While many diseases can directly cause osteoporosis, osteoporosis may appear in a severe form during the treatment of some diseases if bone health is not taken into account.”

Do not ignore the risk factors for osteoporosis!

If there is osteoporosis or frequent bone fractures in the family,

If you have a petite build with low body weight,

If you smoke or consume excessive alcohol,

If you have loss of appetite or eating disorders,

If you do not get enough calcium and vitamin D,

If you have been taking steroid-containing medications for a long time,

If you have adopted a sedentary lifestyle,

If exercise feels like a burden to you,

If you have kidney, lung, thyroid, rheumatic, stomach or intestinal diseases,

If you are in the post-menopausal period (during this period, the decrease in estrogen hormone in women increases the risk of osteoporosis),

If you are in the andropause period (in men, testosterone hormone levels decline with age), you are at risk.

If you suspect osteoporosis…

Apart from laboratory tests, the Bone Mineral Density Test is a primary and important diagnostic test used to determine osteoporosis. In addition, certain important tests are performed on blood and urine to determine whether there is bone loss or reduced bone mass, an increased risk of disease, menopause and hormone deficiency, or another disease that increases bone loss. These are:

Blood and urine calcium levels

Blood phosphorus level

Blood vitamin D level

Blood parathyroid hormone level

Blood thyroid hormone levels

Blood follicle-stimulating hormone level

Blood estradiol level

Blood testosterone level

Blood alkaline phosphatase level

Blood osteocalcin level

Blood C-terminal telopeptide

Blood procollagen type 1 N-telopeptide.

Urine deoxypyridinoline (Pyrilinks-D) level.