Issues Specific to Women-Osteoporosis Prevention

Mimi Vurdelja, Croatia

Osteoporosis is characterized by decreased bone mass and increased susceptibility to fractures. The clinical consequences of osteoporosis are fractures most commonly seen at the wrist, spine, and hip. The prevalence of osteoporotic fracture is extremely high with almost 50% of 7O-year-old women having had at least one osteoporotic fracture. Osteoporotic fracture is therefore a significant cause of morbidity and mortality and represents a major problem of health care.

The two major risk factors for developing osteoporosis are low bone mass obtained at skeletal maturity (low peak bone mass) and the magnitude of the subsequent bone loss. The rate of loss, like peak bone mass, is determined by both genetic and environmental factors. Peak bone mass is influenced considerably by dietary calcium intake and physical activity during adolescence. There is strong evidence that exercise during growth increases achieved bone mass, and that exercise allows age-related boss loss after menopause and can actually produce a modest increase in bone mass in elderly people. The protection of bone mass will reduce fracture risk. The effect of exercise on bone mass was two to four times greater in those who started their exercise at or before puberty.

The osteotrophic effect of exercise is seen most clearly in those forms of mechanical activity that involved impact loading and is less mechanical activity than that involved in impact loading exercises such as swimming.

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