steoporosis is the most common type of bone disease.
Researchers estimate that about 1 out of 5 American women over the
age of 50 have osteoporosis. About half of all women over the age of 50
will have a fracture of the hip, wrist, or vertebra (bones of the
spine).(Portable X-ray Machine)
Osteoporosis occurs when the body fails to form enough new bone, when too much old bone is reabsorbed by the body, or both.
Calcium and phosphate are two minerals that are essential for normal
bone formation. Throughout youth, your body uses these minerals to
produce bones. If you do not get enough calcium, or if your body does
not absorb enough calcium from the diet, bone production and bone
tissues may suffer.
As you age, calcium and phosphate may be reabsorbed back into the
body from the bones, which makes the bone tissue weaker. This can result
in brittle, fragile bones that are more prone to fractures, even
without injury. Usually, the loss occurs gradually over years. Many
times, a person will have a fracture before becoming aware that the
disease is present. By the time a fracture occurs, the disease is in its
advanced stages and damage is severe.
The leading causes of
osteoporosis are a drop in estrogen in women at the time of menopause
and a drop in testosterone in men. Women over age 50 and men over age 70
have a higher risk for osteoporosis.
Researchers in the Academic Center for Dentistry Amsterdam have
created a unique way of identifying patients at risk of osteoporosis by
using ordinary dental x-rays. Professor Paul F. van der Stelt and his
team developed the largely automated approach to detecting the disease
during a three-year, EU-funded collaboration with the Universities of
Manchester, Athens, Leuven, and Malmo. They will present their findings
today during the 85th General Session of the
International Association for Dental Research.
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