Osteoporosis and Young Women

Osteoporosis can be described as a disease characterised by low bone mass or density. A deterioration of the bone structure and thinning of the bones can be seen in osteoporosis. Therefore, it leads to enhanced bone fragility and a rise in the risk of fracture. Osteoporosis is most common among older women compared to men and young women. However, some young women as well as men can also get osteoporosis. Fortunately, some osteoporosis cases can be prevented.

Initially, we should know the causes and risk factors of osteoporosis in young women. If you are a young woman with a risk of developing osteoporosis, you can prevent osteoporosis by eliminating or modifying the particular risk factor.

Oestrogen deficiency

Being a woman is one of the risk factors of osteoporosis. Therefore, you cannot avoid or modify it. The deficiency of a female hormone called oestrogen is a major risk factor in osteoporosis. Normally, young women have adequate blood levels of oestrogen, which help maintain the bone mass. A low blood oestrogen can lead to decreased bone density hence the increased risk of fracture. Usually, this process occurs in older females following menopause. This can happen in young women with irregular or absent menstrual cycles (amenorrhoea), because their oestrogen levels are usually lower than healthy young women. Low body mass index (BMI), extreme dieting, or over exercising can interrupt your regular menstrual cycles. Therefore, women with an eating disorder like anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa and female athletes have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. Surgical removal of the ovaries (oophorectomy) can also lead to early menopause hence osteoporosis in young women. Females with diminished functions of the ovaries (hypogonadism) also have the same risk.

Medical conditions

Certain medical conditions and medications can cause osteoporosis in young women. Cancers as well as cancer treatments induce osteoporosis. Long-term corticosteroid therapy can decrease the strength of the bones. Therefore, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchial asthma, multiple sclerosis, emphysema, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus erythematosus are risk factors of developing osteoporosis, because these conditions usually need a long-term steroid therapy. Diseases like diabetes mellitus, Cushing’s syndrome, hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, multiple myeloma, mastocytosis, osteogenesis imperfecta, chronic (long-term) liver disease, and chronic kidney disease can also weaken the bones.

Certain drugs to treat heart disease (heparin), diabetes (pioglitazone and rosiglitazone), seizures, rheumatoid arthritis (ciclosporin), and gastritis (omeprazole and rabeprazole) interfere with vitamin D and calcium absorption from the diet. If you are a young woman, who is with any of these diseases or is taking any of the above drugs, you need to test your bone density regularly.

Poor diet

Usually, the bone mass rises until about 30 years of age. Therefore, young women need sufficient amounts of dietary calcium. If your diet is deficient in calcium, blood calcium level goes down gradually. Then, the body starts to break down your bones and try to keep up the calcium level. This process can lead to osteoporosis. If the calcium deficiency takes place before you have achieved the peak bone mass, serious complications like fractures can occur.

Vitamin D deficiency also enhances the risk of osteoporosis, because vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium.

Therefore, a young woman should consume a healthy diet with sufficient amounts of vitamin D and calcium based on the activity level, age, and general overall health.

Lifestyle

Osteoporosis can affect children as early as age seven. Some cases of osteoporosis in children occur without any obvious cause. Certain bad behaviours such as smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, lack of weight-bearing exercise, and inadequate diet increase the risk of osteoporosis in young women. It is better to look for the cause for persistent pain in the feet, hips, and lower back, frequent fractures, a loss of height, difficulty walking, or a rounded upper back in teens and children. Occasionally, the problem gets better by itself, while some cases need treatments. Thirty minutes of weight-bearing exercise at least three times a week can increase bone mineral density (BMD). Smoking cessation and avoidance of alcohol abuse (more than three units a day) also help lower the risk of developing osteoporosis.




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