《 # “Hey, why aren’t you attracted to pants?” Manager Kim (55), who took out autumn clothes from the wardrobe in advance and tried them on, makes a confused expression in front of the mirror. This is because the pants that fit perfectly in the past felt like they were longer. I wondered if the laundry was wrong, but it’s the same when I try on other bottoms. A situation that cannot be explained other than that his height has decreased. Director Kim is just bewildered because there are no diseases or sick places that he usually suffers from.”
If you are a middle-aged man, you must have thought regarding the ever-shrinking height at least once. As the body ages, the elasticity of the intervertebral disc (disk) and joints between the vertebrae decreases and the height naturally decreases. In general, it is known that the height decreases by regarding 1 cm every 10 years from the age of 40.
However, if you feel that you have suddenly lost your height, as in the case of Director Kim, it would be good to check your current health closely. This is because you can suspect ‘osteoporosis’ that comes silently following middle age. Osteoporosis is a symptom of significantly weakening bone density and strength, and is a representative musculoskeletal disease, with the number of patients exceeding 1.12 million last year. Even a small impact causes a fracture, and the risk of complications is high, which is a factor that lowers the overall quality of life following middle age.
Osteoporosis tends to be considered a female disease because women account for more than 90% of all patients. In particular, osteoporosis occurs frequently in postmenopausal women, mainly because the secretion of estrogen, a female hormone that maintains bone density, rapidly decreases during menopause, and absorption is faster than bone tissue formation. On the other hand, men have a relatively low risk of osteoporosis because the male hormone testosterone is continuously secreted and bone weakness progresses slowly.
However, in the case of men following middle age, osteoporosis should not be reassured. In men, the secretion of sex hormones starts to decrease starting in their mid-30s, and it gradually decreases by regarding 1% per year. After all, men go through menopause as they get older. In fact, academia reports that 5 out of 10 men over 50 in Korea have osteoporosis or osteopenia.
The problem is that in many cases, treatment is delayed because osteoporosis does not show any signs. The most important thing to watch out for is a sudden decrease in height. If your current height is more than 3 to 4 cm different from before, it may be due to osteoporosis, which may cause a bent back or back, or a vertebral compression fracture in which the spine sinks.
If osteoporosis is suspected, it is recommended to start treatment at an early stage with a diagnosis from a specialist. In oriental medicine, herbal medicines are prescribed for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis, which enhance bodily functions and suppress the loss of bone density. A typical prescription is the herbal compound, Cartilage Reinforcing Hwan (JSOG-6). The effect of cartilage reinforcement pills has been scientifically proven through joint research between the Jaseng Hospital of Oriental Medicine Spine and Joint Research Institute and the Natural Product Science Research Institute of Seoul National University College of Pharmacy. According to a research paper published in ‘BMC Complementary & Alternative Medicine’, an SCI (E)-level international academic journal, cartilage reinforcing rings improved the differentiation and maturation of osteoblasts that produce bones and suppressed osteoporosis-inducing factors.
Lifestyle changes are also essential for preventing osteoporosis. The most important thing is exercise. Bone density and muscle mass are proportional, so the more you exercise, the healthier your bones will be. If osteoporosis has not yet appeared or is in its early stages, strength training that puts weight on the bones like a squat is effective. Also, take multivitamins or nutritional supplements to supplement calcium and vitamin D, which are involved in bone density, and avoid smoking as much as possible because cadmium, a harmful substance, can accumulate in the body and cause problems in bone formation.
Loss of height and bone density is a phenomenon that occurs in everyone with age. However, it is not an exaggeration to say that ‘life following middle age depends on bones’. Regardless of gender, it is time to make an effort to build strong bones for a healthy life without fear of osteoporosis.
Kim Chang-yeon, director of Daejeon Saeng Oriental Medicine Hospital
