October 20th marks World Osteoporosis Day and Mary Kennedy, Irish Osteoporosis Society Ambassador, is calling on Irish women over 65 to prioritise your bone health.

Osteoporosis is a condition that affects the inside of bones, causing them to become fragile and break easily. It's often referred to as a silent disease because there are no signs or symptoms prior to a person breaking (fracturing) bones.

It is estimated that up to 300,000 people in Ireland have osteoporosis. Women over 65 are most at risk from osteoporosis, particularly after menopause. That being said, it can also affect men and even children.

According to the Irish Osteoporosis Society, osteoporosis is massively under-diagnosed in Ireland with up to 65% of women not knowing they have the disease. This puts them at risk of fractures that could result in life-changing injuries. For example, 7 out of 10 hip fractures in Ireland happen to women.

What are the risk factors for osteoporosis?

There are many risk factors that contribute to osteoporosis. These are just some of the risk factors that are out of your control:

• Your gender – Women are more likely than men to develop osteoporosis because typically women have smaller bones, and changes in hormone levels, especially following the menopause cause bone loss, with some women losing excessive amounts of bone at this time
• Your age - The risk of developing osteoporosis increases as you get older. One in four men and one in two women over 50 will fracture a bone as a result of osteoporosis. It's particularly important for women over 65 to prioritise their bone health as they are deemed to be most at risk.
• Your ethnicity also plays a role. According to research, you are at greater risk if you are Caucasian or Asian
• If there is a family history of osteoporosis, you are at higher risk of developing it yourself
• Having a naturally small-boned body frame can also put you at an increased risk

However, other risk factors can be managed. For example, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important for keeping bones strong with research showing that weight bearing exercises and strength training are the best for bone health. Lowering your alcohol intake is another tip as this can affect the cells that build up bone in the body. And smoking can also slow down the cells that build bone tissue, leaving you at a higher risk from osteoporosis.

How can I look after my bones?

Everyone should pay increased attention to their general health and wellbeing as they age but particular attention should be given to bone health, especially for women.

Diet

As with most conditions, osteoporosis can be helped by eating a healthy balanced diet and consuming the correct number of calories for you.

Reducing both your caffeine and alcohol intake is very important for bone health. Regularly consuming more than two alcoholic drinks a day increases your chances of developing osteoporosis.

Exercise

Research also shows that exercise is extremely important to ensure healthy bones. When it comes to bone health, the best physical activities you can do are strength training and resistance training. Of course, if you have never done this type of exercise before you should always start slowly and seek advice from a professional, where possible.

This type of training helps you to build muscle mass and strength, while also improving coordination and balance, which are crucial with osteoporosis. This helps lower your chance of falling, improves daily function and can help to delay loss of independence in certain circumstances.

If you would like to learn more about Osteoporosis and how to look after your bone health this World Osteoporosis Day, visit: www.irishosteoporosis.ie

All information has been taken from the following source: Irish Osteoporosis Society: https://www.irishosteoporosis.ie/ 

Date Accessed: September 2022

Job Number: IE-NPS-0922-00010.   

Date of prep: September 2022