Osteoporosis Introduction

What are the factors that might put me at more of a risk for osteoporosis?

Being a woman

If you are Caucasian or Asian

If you have a family history of osteoporosis

If you are menopausal

If you are slimmer than normal

Getting older

You are being treated for certain diseases (see table 1)

You take certain prescription drugs (see table 2)

You don't drink milk

You have never been pregnant

Your lifestyle puts you at risk (see table 3).

Table 1

Diseases Associated with Increased Risk of Osteoporosis

Acromegaly	Fibromyalgia	Lymphoma
Addison's disease	Gastrectomy	Malabsorption problems
Amyloidosis	Gonadal insufficiency	Mastocytosis
Ankylosing spondylitis	Hemochronatosis	Multiple mylenoma
Anorexia nervosa	Hemophilia	Multiple sclerosis
Biliary cirrhosis	Hyperparathyoidism	Nutritional disorders
Chronic obstrutive pulmonary disease	Hyerphosphatasia	Osteogenesis imperfecta
Chronic obstrutive pulmonary disease	Hypertension	Pernicious anemia
Congenital porphyria	Hyperthyroidism	Rheumatoid arthritis
Cushing's syndrome	Idiopathic scoliosis	Sarcoidosis
Diabetes	Intestinal/bowel disease	Thalassemia
Endometriosis	Kidney Disease	Thyrotoxicosis
Epidermolysis	Leukemia

Table 2

Medications Associated with Osteoporosis

            Anticonvulsants                    GnRH
            Chemotherapeutic drugs             Heparin
            Corticosteroids                    Lithium
            Diuretics                          Lithium
                                               Thyroxine (synthetic)

Charts taken from "The Bone Density Test" by Maggie Greenwood-Robinson, Ph.D.

Table 3

Your Life Style Can Make You More Prone to Osteoporosis

Low Calcium Intake

Vitamin D Deficiency

High Salt Diet

High Phosphorus Consumption (processed foods, red meat, soft drinks)

Excessive Protein Intake

High Caffeine Consumption

Alcohol Abuse

Inactivity

Smoking