Are you at risk of osteoporosis?
Written by changthai11 on Tuesday, October 7th, 2008
Are you at risk of osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a threat in disguise. This silent killer is the sixth cause of death among women in Thailand. Associate Professor Dr Surasak Nilganuwong, president of the Thai Osteoporosis Foundation noted that osteoporosis is a medical condition that can severely damage the body but unfortunately it is the condition that many people overlook.
Dr Surasak suggested that apart from exercise, people should regularly drink milk as it is rich in calcium, which is beneficial for bones.
To mark the World Osteoporosis Day on October 20, “Outlook” invites you to do the osteoporosis risk test, which contains 19 easy questions that will help you understand your bone health.
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What you cannot change - your family history
- Have either of your parents been diagnosed with osteoporosis or broken a bone after a minor fall (a fall from standing height or less)?
- Did either of your parents have a “dowager’s hump”?
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Your personal clinical factors
These are fixed risk factors that one is born with but they should not be ignored. It is important to be aware of fixed risks so that steps can be taken to reduce loss of bone mineral.
- Are you 40 years old or older?
- Have you ever broken a bone after a minor fall as an adult?
- Do you fall frequently (more than once in the last year) or do you have a fear of falling because you are frail?
- After the age of 40, have you lost more than 3cm in height?
- Are you underweight?
- Have you ever taken corticosteroid tablets (cortisone, prednisone, etc) for more than three consecutive months? (Corticosteroids are often prescribed as a cure for asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and some other inflammatory diseases.)
- Have you ever been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis?
- Have you been diagnosed with an over-reactive thyroid or over-reactive parathyroid glands?
FOR WOMEN:
- For women over 45: Did your menopause occur before the age of 45?
- Have your periods ever stopped for 12 consecutive months or more (other than because of pregnancy, menopause or hysterectomy)?
- Were your ovaries removed before age 50, without you taking hormone replacement therapy?
FOR MEN:
- Have you ever suffered from impotence, lack of libido or other symptoms related to low testosterone levels?
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What you can change - your lifestyle factors
- Do you regularly drink alcohol in excess of safe drinking limits (more than two units a day (A unit of alcohol is equivalent to 10ml or eight grams of pure ethanol))?
- Do you currently, or have you ever, smoked cigarettes?
- Is your daily level of physical activity less than 30 minutes per day (housework, gardening, walking, running, etc)?
- Do you avoid, or are you allergic to milk or dairy products, without taking any calcium supplements?
- Do you spend less than 10 minutes per day outdoors (with part of your body exposed to sunlight), without taking vitamin D supplements?
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR ANSWERS
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, it does not mean that you have osteoporosis. More positive answers simply mean that you have more clinically-proven risk factors which may lead to osteoporosis and fractures. You may consult your physician
about your chance of developing osteoporosis so that you can monitor your risks in the future.
