Systemic disease
Osteoporosis is a complex condition affecting not only the bones but also the entire metabolic and vascular system. Therefore, it is common to find osteoporosis patients suffering from vascular calcification, diabetes, or cardiovascular diseases (J.Miner.Stoffwechs.2014; 21: 96-101).
Lack of exercise, oestrogen and testosterone deficiency, and low vitamin D levels are not the only causes of reduced bone density; poor insulin efficacy (insulin resistance) is also a cause and is often associated with fatty liver. These early-stage sugar metabolism disorders negatively affect the “cell purification” process, known as autophagy (Nat.Rev.Endocrinol 2014, 10:322) and promote the development of atherosclerosis (vascular calcification), osteoporosis, and other diseases, such as diabetes mellitus. This means that the treatment of these conditions also often leads to improved bone metabolism function.
At our laboratory, we measure bone development and degeneration, which allows us to detect early-stage bone metabolism disorders.
Bone metabolism is influenced by the following factors:
- Family history of osteoporosis
- Chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and kidney diseases
- Chronic lack of exercise (e.g., caused by paresis)
- Menopausal women who smoke: Smoking begins to inhibit the efficacy of oestrogen in the bones early meaning that, in the event of later oestrogen deficiency, e.g., during menopause, bone density levels are reduced faster
- Being underweight and poor diet
- Men with a testosterone deficiency
- Long- and short-term cortisone therapy
