Osteoporosis is known as the “silent killer”, and its prevalence in Taiwan is second only to high blood pressure. Some patients do not realize that they have osteoporosis until they fall and fracture. In the past two or three years, countries have been affected by the new crown epidemic, and the treatment of osteoporosis has also faced unprecedented challenges. Some European and American studies have pointed out that the main key lies in the reduction of people’s outdoor activities and opportunities to exercise, which will lead to a decrease in bone density and muscle mass.
Pandemic accelerates bone loss in disguised form Physician exposes prevention methods
Lin Xixian, a researcher and orthopedic physician at Cornell University Teaching Hospital in the United States, said that an Italian study pointed out that during the epidemic, people reduced their osteoporosis screening rate by 80% in the two months before the epidemic because of the reduction in going out. The osteoporosis screening rate in the United States in 2020 The detection rate was also reduced by 40%.
From the research point of view, the inflammation of the body caused by the new coronavirus will directly increase the activity of osteoclasts, clinically causing symptoms such as muscle inflammation and joint pain in patients, as well as hypocalcemia.
Kevin Kwan, an attending physician in the Department of Orthopaedics at Columbia University Teaching Hospital in New York, said that hospitalization, especially in intensive care units, has a negative impact on bone health, because when a person’s activity and sunlight are reduced, it can lead to vitamin D deficiency and accelerate bone loss.
How to avoid bone loss due to separation or hospitalization? Lin Xixian said that only by increasing the exercise habits at home and maintaining the original osteoporosis drug treatment can reduce the possibility of osteoporosis fractures during the epidemic.
Osteoporosis drugs don’t increase infection risk even antiviral
Kevin Kwan emphasized that exercise during home isolation can only be partially improved. It is recommended that patients with osteoporosis continue to receive osteoporosis treatment during the epidemic, because monoclonal antibody drugs do not increase the risk of upper respiratory tract infection.
Lin Xixian also said that osteoporosis treatment should be continued during the epidemic, because studies have found that during the epidemic, osteoporosis treatment has been reduced by nearly 50%. At present, no research has pointed out that osteoporosis drugs will increase the infection of the new coronavirus, and some even It can stimulate and increase immunity and has a positive antiviral effect.
Is osteoporosis a normal aging phenomenon? Physician refutes rumors and exposes the main reason
Many people mistakenly think that the hunchback of the elderly is a normal aging phenomenon, but in fact, many elderly people have a hunchback due to osteoporosis, which leads to compression fractures of the spine. Chen Guancheng, an attending physician in the Rehabilitation Department of National Taiwan University Hospital, explained that osteoporosis basically has no symptoms. Once symptoms appear, it is often a fracture. The fractures caused by osteoporosis most often occur in the three parts of the spine, hip and wrist.
The treatment for osteoporosis should include non-drug treatment and drug treatment. In non-drug treatment, smoking cessation, alcohol cessation and reduction of caffeine intake are mainly used to increase calcium and vitamin D intake.
Chen Guancheng said that although the use of drug treatment is very difficult, it is still recommended that patients with osteoporosis use osteoporosis drugs on a regular basis. The medication period is usually more than one year, in order to effectively improve bone quality and avoid fractures, and follow up regularly to do a complete After treatment, decide whether to stop the drug.
Bone quality reaches its peak between the ages of 20 and 30. After the age of 30, the bone mass will slowly lose at a rate of 1% every year, especially for postmenopausal women, which will lose a rapid rate of 3% every year. Physicians also urged that bone storage should be done as early as possible. It is recommended that men over 70 years old and women over 65 years old should have regular bone density testing. If there is a tendency to osteoporosis, don’t let it worsen, find and treat as soon as possible to avoid regrets.
◎ Image source/Provided by Dazhi Image/shutterstock
◎ Source/TVBS News Network
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