Brittle Bone Disease

Brittle bone disease or Osteoporosis literally means 'porous bones,' a condition, which is characterized by the progressive loss of bone density and thinning of bone tissue. While osteoporosis is often thought of as an older person's disease, it can strike at any age. Although osteoporosis is debilitating, it does not affect life expectancy.
Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for more than 28 million Americans, 80 percent of whom are women. It is also responsible for more than 1.5 million fractures annually. In the U.S. today, 10 million individuals already have the disease and 18 million more have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis.
One out of two women and one in eight men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime.

Usually, the loss occurs gradually over an extended period of time (years) and most of the time, a person will sustain a fracture before knowing about the disease. By the time the patients knows about the disease, it is already in its advanced stages and the damage is profound.

Often called the "silent disease," bone loss is a symptomatic in osteoporosis in the initial stages. People may not know that they have osteoporosis, a fracture resulting from a minor fall. Symptoms occurring late in the disease would include: 

The storage and releasing capacity of calcium varies with age. In the first three decades of life the rate of storage exceeds the rate of release, allowing bone growth. Around age 30, the bones achieve peak mass, and tend to retain it throughout reproductive life. Thereafter, roughly in parallel with decreasing levels of reproductive hormones, the rate of calcium release exceeds the rate of calcium storage, resulting in demineralization of bone. Although the loss of reproductive hormones is only one factor in the demineralization of bone, which occurs with aging, it is a very important one. As the loss of reproductive hormones occurs much faster in women than in men, women are at greater lifetime risk for osteoporotic fracture. The age-appropriate balance of calcium storage and release may get upset at any point in the life cycle by problems with diet and lifestyle, by certain diseases, and by the continued use of certain medications.
Peak bone mass is related to the risk of fracture in later life, because it is directly related to bone strength, thus inversely related to the risk for fracture. The higher the peak bone mass before demineralization begins, the longer a bone retains sufficient strength to avoid fracture. Blacks are at lower risk for osteoporotic fracture than whites, Asians, or Native Americans, and on average, blacks achieve higher peak bone mass than other racial groups. (This differential is believed to be an expression of underlying genetic differences.)
Peak bone mass is determined by all factors which affect bone growth, including genetics, nutrition, exercise, disease, medication use, tobacco use, and alcohol abuse.

Drugs or diseases that stress the body can interrupt the bone replacement process at any point in life. Steroids and heparin, as well as malnutrition, hyperthyroidism and alcoholism, are a few common possibilities. There are a number of causes of osteoporosis, however hormone deficiencies namely estrogen in women and androgen in men, are the leading cause. Women, especially over the age of 60, are the most frequent sufferers of the disease as a result of menopause resulting in reduction in estrogen production due to the loss of ovarian function. Other causes include corticosteroid excess or Cushing's syndrome, hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, immobilization, bone malignancies, certain genetic disorders, and other miscellaneous problems such as low calcium in diet. Building strong bones during childhood and adolescence can be the best defense against developing osteoporosis later. It is important to have an intake of a balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, perform weight-bearing exercises and maintain a healthy lifestyle with no smoking and limited alcohol intake. Post-menopausal women, especially those who have reduced bone density, may consider intervention with estrogen replacement therapy. Early detection would allow early intervention and could prevent some fractures and complications associated with osteoporosis.

The following tests are performed to diagnose osteoporosis:

Avoid red meat and reduce animal protein intake. These are high in phosphates. Vegetarians have a lower risk for osteoporosis and have denser and stronger bones.

New tests show smoking cigarettes causes damage to the bones.

Exercise is a nutrient in itself. Weight bearing exercise is one of the best ways to build bone and prevent bone loss.