Living With Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis Glossary
Bone: Bone forms the skeleton of the body and is made chiefly of calcium phosphate and calcium carbonate. It also serves as a storage area for calcium.
Bone Density: Bone density is the amount of bone tissue in a certain volume of bone. It can be measured using a special X-ray called a quantitative computed tomogram.
Bone Loss and Posture: 6 Tips to Look Your Best
Everything changes with time -- and that's certainly true if you have bone loss from osteoporosis. Little compression fractures can affect the way you sit, stand, walk -- and look. You may be a bit shorter now, your posture a little different. "These changes alter how a woman's clothes fit," says Susan Randall, RN, senior director of education for the National Osteoporosis Foundation. "Clothes don't seem to drape as they should. The length of a dress doesn't seem right -- it's down in front, pulling...
Read the Bone Loss and Posture: 6 Tips to Look Your Best article > >
Bone Mineral Density: A measurement of the amount of calcium in bones. This measurement detects osteopenia (bone loss usually without symptoms) and osteoporosis (more severe bone loss that may cause symptoms).
Calcitonin: A hormone produced by the thyroid gland that lowers the levels of calcium and phosphate in the blood and promotes the formation of bone.
Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones. Calcium is essential for healthy bones and important for muscle contraction, heart action, nervous system maintenance, and normal blood clotting.
DEXA: Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. It's a technique for scanning bone and measuring bone mineral density.
Estrogen: Estrogen is a female hormone produced by the ovaries. Estrogen deficiency can lead to osteoporosis.
Fracture: A break in bone or cartilage. Although usually the result of trauma, a fracture can be caused by an acquired disease of the bone such as osteoporosis.
Hip Fracture: Broken bone in the hip, a key health problem among the elderly, usually due to a fall or other kind of trauma involving direct impact to the hip joint which may be weakened by osteoporosis.
Hyperparathyroidism: Too much parathyroid hormone resulting in abnormally high levels of calcium in the blood. This can cause bone resorption and osteoporosis, calcium deposits in the kidneys, and more.
Osteopenia: Mild thinning of the bone mass, but not as severe as osteoporosis. Osteopenia is generally considered the first step on the road to osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis: Thinning of the bones with reduction in bone mass due to depletion of calcium and bone protein. Unchecked osteoporosis can lead to posture changes, physical abnormality, and decreased mobility.
Postmenopausal: After menopause. The time after which a woman has experienced twelve (12) consecutive months without a period.
Vitamin D: A steroid vitamin that promotes the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorus. With normal sunlight exposure, no dietary supplementation is necessary because sunlight promotes adequate vitamin D synthesis in the skin.
WebMD Medical Reference
Osteoporosis Glossary
- Bone Mineral Density - A measurement of the amount of calcium and minerals in bone tissue.
- Calcium - A mineral in (and vital to) your bones. If your body lacks calcium, it takes it from bones.
- DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) - a test used to measure bone mineral density.
- Osteoporosis - A decrease in bone density, which increase the risk of fractures.
- Vitamin D - A vitamin that helps your body absorb calcium.
- View All Terms
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