Bone Disease in the Elderly

Bone disease is a common malady among the elderly. It causes bones to lose strength and become brittle, breaking easily. There are different kinds of bone disease that affect seniors, each with its own treatment options.

Osteoporosis

• The Surgeon General reports that osteoporosis causes patients to suffer a deterioration of their bones. It is very common in older people.

Statistics

• The New York Times tells readers that osteoporosis will affect nearly one in four elderly white women.

Osteoporosis Treatment

• Treatments for the bone osteoporosis in the elderly include the use of hormones, exercise and calcium supplements.

Diet

• Since calcium is vital for strong healthy bones, a high calcium diet protects the body from all bone diseases. It is common for most people to get less than half of the calcium from their diets that is required fight bone disease.

Paget's disease

• Paget's disease is disorder that causes bone remodeling. This is where normal bone is replaced with softer, larger bone. Some patients with this condition develop pain or deformed bones. This disease primarily affects the elderly. Drugs called bisphosphonates, that increase bone density, are given to treat this condition.