Osteoporosis mainly (to affect) _________ women after the age of the menopause, although men can (to have) _______ it too. It can (to occur) ________ in younger people if they (to have) _____________ other predisposing factors.
What (to cause) _________ it?
The condition (to occur) ________ because from around the age of 35 more bone cells (to lose) ___________ than (to replace) _______. This (to cause) _________ the bone density to decrease.
The first sign (to be) ______commonly when a minor bump or fall (to cause) ________ a bone fracture. These may (to result) ________ in pain, disability, loss of independence, and death. Osteoporosis may (to cause) ______________ people to 'shrink' as they (to get) _______ older. It (to cause) __________ the characteristic 'dowager's hump'.
Who (to affect) _______________?
About 3 million people in the UK (to have) _________ the condition, which (to be) ____ more common in women than men. Every year in the UK over 230,000 fractures (to occur) ________ because of osteoporosis. In the UK one in two women and one in five men over the age of 50 (to suffer) __________ a fracture.
After the menopause bone loss (to speed) __________ up making osteoporosis more likely. In women the risk (to increase) ____________ if they (to have) _________ an early menopause, (to have) __________ their ovaries removed before the menopause, or (to miss) _______ periods for six months or more as a result of over-exercising or over-dieting.
For men low levels of testosterone (to increase) ____________ the risk. For men and women long-term use of corticosteroid medication, maternal osteoporosis, smoking, heavy drinking, sedentary lifestyle, and low body weight all (to increase) _________ the risk.
Ways to prevent osteoporosis
You can (to help) _______ yourself by taking general measures such as the following:
• Increasing the calcium in your diet.
• Increasing weight-bearing exercise as this helps maintain bone density.
• Reducing both alcohol intake and cigarette smoking.
Medication may (to include) ________________:
• Calcium and vitamin D supplements.
• A variety of hormone-type treatments including HRT, tibolone and SERMS.
• Bisphosphonates (to be) _____ a group of drugs, which (to prevent) _________ bone breakdown and can (to be) ____ very effective in osteoporosis.
It(to) ____ better to prevent any condition than simply to manage it when it (to happen) _____________. Osteoporosis assessment and management (to be) ____ an important factor in maintaining the health of your bone structure as you (to enter) _______________ middle age.
