Senile osteoporosis

Senile osteoporosis
Other namesOsteoporosis type II

Senile osteoporosis has been recently recognized as a geriatric syndrome with a particular pathophysiology. There are different classification of osteoporosis: primary, in which bone loss is a result of aging and secondary, in which bone loss occurs from various clinical and lifestyle factors.[1] Primary, or involuntary osteoporosis, can further be classified into Type I or Type II.[1] Type I refers to postmenopausal osteoporosis and is caused by the deficiency of estrogen.[1] While senile osteoporosis is categorized as an involuntary, Type II, and primary osteoporosis, which affects both men and women over the age of 70 years. It is accompanied by vitamin D deficiency, body's failure to absorb calcium, and increased parathyroid hormone.[2][3]

Research over the years has shown that senile osteoporosis is the product of a skeleton in an advanced stage of life and can be caused by a deficiency caused by calcium. However, physicians are also coming to the conclusion that multiple mechanisms in the development stages of the disease interact together resulting in an osteoporotic bone, regardless of age.[4] Still, elderly people make up the fastest growing population in the world. As bone mass declines with age, the risk of fractures increases. Annual incidence of osteoporotic fractures is more than 1.5 million in the US and notably 20% of people die during the first year after a hip fracture.[5]

It costs the US health system around $17 billion annually, with the cost projecting to $50 billion by 2040.[5] These costs represent a higher burden compared to other disease states, such as breast cancer, stroke, diabetes, or chronic lung disease.[5] Although there are cost effective and well-tolerated treatments, 23% of the diagnosed are women over 67 have received either bone mineral density (BMD) tests or prescription for treatment after fracture.[6] The clinical and economic burdens indicate there should be more effort in assessment of risk, prevention, and early intervention when it comes to osteoporosis.[5]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference :3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Sotorník I (2016). "[Osteoporosis - epidemiology and pathogenesis]". Vnitrni Lekarstvi. 62 (Suppl 6): 84–87. PMID 28124937.
  3. ^ Glaser DL, Kaplan FS (December 1997). "Osteoporosis. Definition and clinical presentation". Spine. 22 (24 Suppl): 12S–16S. doi:10.1097/00007632-199712151-00003. PMID 9431639. S2CID 40587551.
  4. ^ An overview on Osteoarthritis MedicineNet. Retrieved on 2010-03-05
  5. ^ a b c d Lane NE (February 2006). "Epidemiology, etiology, and diagnosis of osteoporosis". American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 194 (2 Suppl): S3-11. doi:10.1016/j.ajog.2005.08.047. PMID 16448873.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).