Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast.

My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about osteoporosis.

And you can follow along with written notes on this topic at zero definals.com slash osteoporosis

or in the rheumatology section of the zero definals medicine book.

So let's get straight into it.

Osteoporosis is a condition where there is reduced density of the bones.

Osteopenia refers to a less severe reduction in bone density than osteoporosis.

And reduced bone density makes bones less strong

and more prone to fractures. First let's talk about the risk factors for developing osteoporosis.

Older age is a big risk factor and most patients with osteoporosis will be older age, being female,

particularly postmenopausal when women lose that estrogen that protects the bones, reduce mobility and activity, because mobility and resistance

through the bones improves their strength and density, having a low BMI or body mass index, particularly under 18.5 kilograms per

meter squared, rheumatoid arthritis, alcohol and smoking are both risk factors, long-term corticosteroids

is a key risk factor that you need to remember and nice suggest the risk significantly

increases when patients are taking the equivalent of more than 7.5 milligrams of prednisolone per day

for more than three months. Other medications are also a risk factor for osteoporosis such as

SSRI medications for depression, proton pump inhibitors to

protect the stomach lining, anti-apaleptic medications and anti-estrogen medications that might be used in

conditions like breast cancer. Postmenopausal women are a key group where osteoporosis should be considered.

Remember that estrogen is protective against osteoporosis.

So estrogen is important for women maintaining the health of their bones.

So unless a postmenopausal woman is on hormone replacement therapy,

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