Chapter 4 The Skeletal System 159 spine. This disabling deformity is known as dowager’s hump. A diagnosis of osteoporosis is confirmed with X-rays, bone densitometry, and specialized laboratory tests. Treatments can include estrogen replacement therapy and prescribed medications to increase bone mass. The Female Athlete Triad Unfortunately, osteoporosis is not confined to the elderly population. It can also occur in female athletes at the high school and collegiate levels who strive to maintain an excessively low body weight. also called age-associated osteoporosis, affects most women and also affects men over 70 years old. After 60 years of age, the majority of fractures in both men and women are osteoporosis-related. In the elderly population, fractures of the femoral neck, in particular, often trigger a downward health spiral that leads to death. The most common symptom of osteoporosis, however, is back pain derived from crush-type fractures of the weakened trabecular bone of the vertebrae. These fractures can be caused by activities as simple as picking up a bag of groceries or a bag of trash. These vertebral crush fractures frequently cause reduction of body height and tend to accentuate the kyphotic curve in the thoracic region of the What Research Tells Us …about Preventing Osteoporosis Osteoporosis is not inevitable with advancing age. It is typically the result of a lifetime of habits that are erosive to the skeletal system. Simply stated, it is easier to prevent osteoporosis than it is to treat it. The single most important strategy for preventing or delaying the onset of osteoporosis is maximizing bone mass during childhood and adolescence. Weight-bearing exercise such as running, jumping, and even walking is particularly important prior to puberty because of the high level of growth hormone present during this period (Figure 4.37). Growth hormone makes exercise particularly effective in increasing bone density. Diet also plays an important role in bone health. Physicians now recognize that a predisposition for osteoporosis can begin in childhood and adolescence when a poor diet interferes with bone mass development. Adequate dietary calcium is particularly important during the teenage years, but unfortunately the typical American girl falls below the recommended daily intake of 1,200 mg per day by 11 years of age. A modified diet or calcium supplementation can be critically important for the development of peak bone mass among adolescent females who have this dietary deficiency. The role of vitamin D is also important, because vitamin D enables bone to absorb calcium. In North America, more than 50% of women being treated for low bone density also have a vitamin D deficiency. Other lifestyle factors also affect bone mineralization. Risk factors for developing osteoporosis include a sedentary lifestyle, weight loss or excessive thinness, and smoking tobacco. To help prevent later development of osteoporosis, young women are encouraged to engage in regular physical activity and to avoid the lifestyle factors that negatively affect bone health. Taking It Further 1. Make a list of activities that you can engage in now that will increase your chances of preventing or delaying the onset of osteoporosis. Share your list with classmates. 2. What foods might you recommend for bone health in young teenage girls? oliveromg/Shutterstock.com Figure 4.37 How can this activity help prevent osteoporosis in later life? Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.