Have you heard of Osteoporosis or Osteopenia?

These are the most common bone diseases, and in Spain more than 3.5 million people suffer from them. This pathology produces a decrease in bone density weakening the bones, and increasing the probability of a fracture.

Certain groups have a higher risk of bone demineralization, such as:

• Postmenopausal women candidates for hormone replacement therapy.
• People with suspected hip fracture, maternal history of hip fracture or vertebral collapse.
• People who are on chronic treatment with corticosteroids, such as prenisone, or antiepileptic drugs, such as phenytoin.
• People with pathology of the thyroid gland, such as hyperthyroidism, or of the parathyroid gland, such as hyperparathyroidism.
• Those with type-1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes, liver or kidney disease, or those with a family history of osteoporosis.
• People who have suffered a bone fracture after minor trauma.
• People who have abnormalities in bone turnover tests (elevated calcium levels in urine).

In addition, other risk factors for osteoporosis are: being a white woman; having a family history of osteoporosis; have a poor intake of calcium throughout life; having had an early menopause; be sedentary; make an excessive intake of alcohol, coffee; and smoke.

Osteoporosis and osteopenia are silent diseases that usually do not cause symptoms until a bone fracture occurs. These can occur after minor exertion or a minor fall, and while fractures are often painful, some fractures such as spinal fractures may be painless but can cause bone deformities. Bone densitometry is a non-invasive and painless test, it is performed lying on a stretcher in which a machine individually explores bone parts, such as the forearm, hip or spine and using improved X-ray technology (with a tiny, miniscule dose of radiation) it determines bone mineral density and so on. to be able to know if there has been a significant loss of bone density in our bones.

From the Parets Medical and Dental Center, a center with more than 30 years of experience, we care about the diagnosis Osteo and treatment of bone demineralization. The prevention of osteoporosis is key, since it is easier to prevent the loss of bone density than to recover it once it has been lost, and a fracture in certain years is more likely to occur. os of our life can condition the life of a person. That is why we recommend performing a bone densitometry every two years if you are within the risk groups mentioned above. It will depend on the measures and control that we have in the present. our quality of life in the future.

Mr. Diego Hernández.
Radiology Technician.
Parets Medical and Dental Center.
Avenida Catalunya 155, Parets del Vallès
93 562 35 53.

**Translated with Google Translate