Osteoporosis: Cautions and Outlook

Osteoporosis: Cautions and Outlook

Cautions:  All people with osteoporosis are advised to avoid the risk of falling. People with advanced osteoporosis will be cautioned by their doctor to perform low-impact, low risk exercises such as water aerobics, walking, and swimming.  Many will be advised to avoid extreme sports, skiing, jogging, and climbing where falls are common.

Future outlook on the condition:  Some experts estimate that Osteoporosis currently causes 1.3 million bone fractures a year. According to an article published in the American Journal of Medicine , the cost of osteoporosis death and disability in the United States was between seven and ten billion dollars in 1986. As the elderly population in the United States grows, the problem of osteoporosis will grow with it.

Beginning in 2013, doctors were examining the relationship of magnesium to osteoporosis. Early analyses suggest that both low magnesium and elevated magnesium aggravate osteoporosis. Further research will be needed to verify these findings.

For the most part, however, future research on osteoporosis is likely to focus on the development of new drugs that don’t just inhibit bone loss, but actually stimulate bone tissue formation. Because of the high cost of osteoporosis in the United States, research is needed to suggest ways to prevent and treat the disease