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In addition to complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, stroke or blindness... diabetes in the elderly can cause osteoporosis and a number of other diseases related to bones and joints. So how does diabetes cause osteoporosis? The content will be answered in the article below.
1. How does diabetes cause osteoporosis?
Diabetes can cause bad effects on bones, including:
Affects the metabolism of calcium, phosphorus and other minerals: If diabetes is not treated, it will increase blood sugar. This sugar is excreted in the urine along with calcium and phosphorus, causing bone density loss, causing osteoporosis. When fasting blood sugar and urine sugar increase, bone density decreases. When blood sugar is low, close to the normal value, the urinary calcium index also decreases and falls to the normal level.
Affects bone metabolism: For patients with diabetes, when the function of mature bone cells is impaired, bone formation will be reduced, or slowed down. However, bone resorption may be normal, or it may increase or decrease. In addition, insulin receptors on mature osteoblasts can help increase the function and increase production of mature osteoblasts. Therefore, people with diabetes, lack of insulin, will affect the growth of bones, so there are pathological complications related to bone, decreased bone density, osteoporosis.
Effect on bone density: Between patients with type 2 diabetes and type 1 diabetes, there is a marked change in bone density when measuring bone density in the lumbar region, the upper femur. In particular, the case of decreased bone density is common in patients with type 1 diabetes because the patient is in the bone growth stage (before the age of 20). Then the patient has a deficiency of insulin and is related to bone growth.
Hình ảnh mô phỏng xương của một người bình thường và người bị loãng xương
2. How to prevent osteoporosis caused by diabetes?
Prevention of osteoporosis by controlling diabetes is the only way. Maintaining and stabilizing the glycemic index at or near the normal range can help bring calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and other metabolites back into balance.
Follow a scientific diet, balance the substances in each meal but still ensure adequate nutrition. Excess or lack of certain substances can interfere with calcium absorption, and cause bone loss, leading to osteoporosis. Therefore, diabetics need to choose and add to each meal foods rich in calcium, phosphorus, vitamins such as milk, dairy products, lean meat, eggs, some seafood such as shrimp. , fish; green vegetables and fruits... A diet rich in calcium and vitamin D is the basis for maintaining strong bones and helping to increase bone density. However, calcium and vitamin D only support the treatment process. In addition, heavy use of tobacco, alcohol, and coffee also reduces calcium absorption. Therefore, diabetics need to limit and eliminate these habits.
People with diabetes need to increase exercise and sunbathe to prevent osteoporosis. Regular exercise will help strengthen the functioning of organs such as the heart and lungs, improve immunity, and prevent diseases. Sunbathing increases the synthesis of vitamin D, which helps to absorb calcium better. Infrared rays in sunlight can cause blood vessels under the skin to dilate and increase blood circulation.
In addition, people with diabetes need to have bone density tests periodically to detect osteoporosis in time. Bone densitometry can be performed in the hip and spine areas to detect fractures in advance, as well as predict the likelihood of fractures.
Người bị bệnh đái tháo đường cần duy trì chỉ số đường huyết và có chế độ ăn uống khoa học
3. Note when treating osteoporosis
Currently, there is no cure for osteoporosis and other bone-related diseases caused by diabetes. Once you have osteoporosis, there are no drugs that can help rebuild or restore bone strength and bone loss.
Therefore, stabilizing blood sugar by taking blood glucose-lowering drugs and drugs that promote bone formation (vitamin D, D3 or cancitriol) and supplementing with 500 - 1,000 mg of calcium/day is the way to prevent it. disease prevention and treatment. However, it should be noted to avoid continuous use of vitamin D for a long time because it can cause vitamin D toxicity with manifestations such as headache, fatigue, itchy skin, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain; More severe can affect kidney function, causing thirst, frequent urination, calcified joints, high calcium in the blood... Therefore, patients should not arbitrarily take the drug without a doctor's prescription. .
Osteoporosis is a complication of diabetes that is complex and difficult to treat. Therefore, when the disease is detected, it is necessary to treat it in a synchronous manner from the use of drugs, combined with diet and exercise to bring the best results.
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