Bone health and Nutrition

Question 1

How does bone mass change across various stages of the lifespan?

Answer 1

Childhood and adolescence bone mass increased and growth hormone, sex steroids during puberty

Adulthood no net bone mass gain, continuous bone remodeling, pregnancy and lactation = bone mineral loss

As you age bone mass gradually lowers and an accelerated loss in menopause, trabecular remodels faster than cortical

Question 2

Whats are symptoms of rickets and osteomalacia

Answer 2

Pain

Skeletal deformities – thickening of the ankles, wrists and knees, bowed legs, soft skull bones and, rarely, bending of the spine

Dental problems

Poor growth and development

Fragile bones

Question 3

What are the causes of rickets and osteomalacia?

Answer 3

Prolonged vitamin d deficiency

Lack of dietary calcium (developing countries)

Disorders of phosphate metabolism

Genetic defects

Excessive intake of flouride

Question 4

What are the risk factors for rickets and osteomalacia?

Answer 4

Poor vitamin D intake and status and associated factors e.g. reduced sunlight exposure, dark skin pigmentation

Prolonged, exclusive breastfeeding

Premature infants

Question 5

Reference for rickets rise?

Answer 5

“Hospitalisation rates for rickets in England are now the highest in five decades. Currently, rickets is not confined to non-white people, though it is more common in non-white than white individuals” (Goldacre et al., 2014).