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Osteoporosis and Current Therapeutic Management

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The Active Female

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Abstract

Osteoporosis which means “porous bones” is one of the most common skeletal disorders faced by women and their health care providers today. It occurs when there is a change in the balance of bone renewal. As estrogen levels diminish with the onset of menopause, there is excessive bone resorption which is not fully compensated for by an increase in bone formation. The most rapid bone loss in a woman’s life cycle appears to occur during the first 5 years after menopause. The World Health Organization (WHO) criteria for diagnosing osteoporosis and osteopenia (decreased bone mineral content) are based on a comparison of an individual’s bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) with that of a young adult reference group. BMD is expressed using a T-score that represents the difference in a number of standard deviations relative to the average peak bone mass of same gender, young, healthy adults. The WHO classifies osteoporosis as a T-score lower than −2.5 (World Health Organization (WHO) Scientific group on the assessment of osteoporosis at the primary health care level: report of WHO study group summary meeting report. Brussels, Belgium, 5–7 May, 2004; Kanis and Gluer. Osteoporosis Int. 11:192–202, 2009) and osteopenia as a T-score between −1 and −2.5. The primary goal of treatment is to reduce the risk of fractures. Although numerous effective therapies for the treatment of osteoporosis are readily available in a variety of forms, maintaining a healthy lifestyle with proper, balanced nutrition and sufficient, regular physical activity should be paramount for all women.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Cincinnati Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Kellie F. Flood-Shaffer M.D., F.A.C.O.G.

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  1. Kellie F. Flood-Shaffer M.D., F.A.C.O.G.
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Correspondence to Kellie F. Flood-Shaffer M.D., F.A.C.O.G. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health, Exercise and Sport Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Jacalyn J. Robert-McComb Ph.D., F.A.C.S.M., A.C.S.M., P.D. (Professor of Exercise Physiology) (Professor of Exercise Physiology)

  2. Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Reid L. Norman Ph.D. (Professor and Chair) (Professor and Chair)

  3. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Mimi Zumwalt M.D. (Associate Professor Head of Sports Medicine) (Associate Professor Head of Sports Medicine)

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Flood-Shaffer, K.F. (2014). Osteoporosis and Current Therapeutic Management. In: Robert-McComb, J.J., Norman, R.L., Zumwalt, M. (eds) The Active Female. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8884-2_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8884-2_19

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