You have been prescribed Alpha D3; a medicine, which will improve the strength of your bones and fight a dreaded disability, called 'Osteoporosis'.
Sometimes called "the silent thief", osteoporosis can be described as a bone disease characterized by serious loss of bone mass or disintegration of the bone architecture.
It is called the silent thief because of its insidious ability to progress for years without warning. The continuous bone loss creates a seriously fragile skeleton prone to increases in fracture incidence. These fractures may occur after relatively minor structural stress such as a fall, or even a simple bump or cough. Spontaneous fractures in vertebrae are unfortunately also quite common in osteoporotic patients.
Although osteoporosis is principally a disease risk for post-menopausal women, it has become increasingly recognized (as our society ages) as a significant healthcare issue for other segments of the population, including men.
Although accurate data based on bone density are not currently available, the clinical impression based on measurement of bone density by conventional based on measurement of bone density by conventional radiology is that Indians have the highest prevalence of osteoporosis in the world, perhaps only rivaled by Japan.
Osteoporosis is estimated to cause 1.3 million bone fractures a year in people over 45 years of age. By extreme old age, one third of all women and one sixth of all men have hip fracture.
Hip fracture is the most devastating manifestation of osteoporosis.
Hip fractures contribute most to osteoporosis - associated disability. Patients are prone to developing acute complications such as pressure sores, and urinary tract infections. Perhaps the most important long-term outcome is impairment of the ability to walk.
Fifty percent of those ambulatory before the fracture are unable to walk independently afterwards.
About 20% of those with hip fractures due to osteoporosis die from the fracture or its complications. Data for other countries are similar.
Osteoporosis - related fractures can occur in any of the bones, but the main fractures occur in the vertebral spinal column. Wrist fractures called Cole’s fractures also commonly occur among women afflicted with osteoporosis. Typically the fracture occurs when a woman falls and uses her hand to break the fall; this commonly results in a broken wrist.
Causes of Osteoporotic Fractures.
A disease inherent to aging?
Osteoporosis, as already mentioned, occurs due to reduction in bone density making your bones more prone to fractures. One of the main reasons for development of osteoporosis is aging. There may be other reasons like steroid intake, excessive smoking or alcohol intake, sedentary lifestyle with little exposure to sun etc.
Aging causes decrease in the body's ability to build bone and conserve the already existing bone thereby leading to osteoporosis. This process effects both men and women. Statistics reveal that 30% of all men over 50 are at a risk of an osteoporotic fracture. The osteoporosis due to aging is called senile osteoporosis.
Earlier, infact upto the last decade, osteoporosis was thought of a disorder inherent to aging but advancement in medical science has made it easy to prevent the development of osteoporosis provided the right diet, lifestyle and medication are adhered to.
Aging is one of the greatest cause of development of osteoporosis, however the culprit responsible for the maximum no of osteoporotic fractures worldwide is menopause.
How is osteoporosis associated with menopause?
Menopause is the end of menstruation either naturally or artificially following hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus). Menopause leads to a depletion of the important sex hormone, estrogen, in the female body, leading to a number of changes in the bones of the body. The age of onset of menopause appears to be determined genetically and does not seem to be related to race or nutritional status. The last physiologic period generally occurs between the ages of 45 and 55 years.
Reduced Estrogen levels after menopause will lead to increased bone loss and reduced new bone formation. It is estimated that women loss 20% of their bone in the 5-7 years after menopause. Hence at menopause, due to lack of estrogen, there is a relative loss of bone that, if neglected, may develop into osteoporosis with the consequent increased risk of fracture.
Regular Exercise
A sedentary lifestyle puts you at an extra risk of developing osteoporosis. Exercise is an important component of an osteoporosis prevention and treatment program. Exercise not only improves your bone health, but also increases muscle strength, coordination, and balance and leads to better overall health. While exercise is good for someone with osteoporosis, it should not put any sudden or excessive strain on your bones. As extra insurance against fractures, your doctor can recommend specific exercise to strengthen and support your back.
Is the therapy advised right?
Recent advancement in medical science have broken many myths about Osteoporosis. It has now been seen that bone density is more highly correlated with the active Vit D levels in our body rather than calcium intake.
Active Vit D to put it simply is Vit D in its active form. Any food material or even production of Vit D form the action of sun on our skin produces an inactive form of Vitamin D. This inactive form needs to be converted by our body in its active form. The ability of our body to carry out this conversion from plain Vit D to active Vit D reduces with old age and menopause. At this point one needs to supplement the body with an active Vit D.
Active Vit D plays an important role in the normal growth and skeletal development of human beings. Our body derives Vitamin D from two sources - sunlight and food. When we are exposed to ultraviolet (UV) rays, a sterol in our skin is changed into an inactive form of Vitamin D. This inactive form of vitamin D must first be converted into active metabolites in order to exert its effect. Inactive vitamin D is rapidly accumulated in the liver where it undergoes its first conversion towards becoming the active form of vitamin D (25-hydroxy Vitamin D3). This then converts in the kidney into the active metabolite (1,25 dihydroxy Vitamin D3) and it is this metabolite that is necessary to ensure absorption of calcium, a vital factor in bone formation. Some foods also contain inactive Vitamin D. Butter, eggs and fatty fish such as herring, mackerel and salmon naturally contain the Vitamin. Other sources are foods fortified with Vitamin D such as milk, margarine and some breakfast cereals. This inactive form of Vitamin D undergoes similar conversions as mentioned in the above paragraph resulting in the active metabolite the body can use.
Active vitamin D metabolites such as Alfacalcidol are compounds that are closely identified with the end product of Vitamin D metabolism.
Thus the fundamental and all-important function of active Vitamin D metabolite is to Protect Bone (prevent bone loss).
This active Vitamin D metabolite helps your body absorb calcium from your small intestine. Then it helps deposit calcium in your bones.
Last but not the least ask yourself these questions.
Do you suffer from persistent back pain along with gradual loss of height?
Are you post menopausal either naturally or due to surgery?
Are you diagnosed as osteopenic or osteoporotic?
In these circumstances you'll be advised suitable drug therapy. Do you have to follow your treatment regularly and continuously?
If you do not follow your treatment regularly you will continue to lose bone at a fast rate and place yourself at a high risk of developing fractures. Remember osteoporotic fractures can be deadly, a hip fracture can cause an inability to walk independently in one out of two cases!
As osteoporosis is a continuous problem of old age and menopause. It is very important for you to follow up the drug treatment too on continuous basis for as long as advised by your doctor since abrupt stopping or interrupted treatment will not benefit the results of bone mass formation by drug prescribed.
Glaxo will be conducting bone densitometer camps free of charge in your locality in due course of time. We invite you to get yourself checked and see for yourself the benefits of a continuous and regular therapy.