With the development of aging population, osteoporosis is receiving increasing attention from people. What are the hazards of osteoporosis? How to prevent it? The reporter interviewed Chen Hailing, chief physician of the Department of Osteoporosis at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University. Osteoporosis is a systemic bone disease Chen Hailing said that the reasons for the occurrence are quite complex, mainly including genetic, environmental, and disease factors. If there is a family history of osteoporosis, offspring may have this disease. Environmental factors such as imbalanced diet, lack of exercise, and lack of sun exposure can lead to insufficient calcium supplementation or excessive loss, which over time can cause osteoporosis. Suffering from certain diseases and taking hormone drugs may cause bone loss, which can lead to osteoporosis over time. Osteoporosis is more common in elderly men and postmenopausal women Chen Hailing analyzed that typical clinical manifestations include pain, spinal deformity, and fractures. The early symptoms of osteoporosis are relatively mild, mainly manifested as common hunchback, height reduction, and back pain in the elderly after fatigue, which usually do not attract the attention of patients; After the condition worsens, even without fatigue or exercise, there will be pain throughout the body, even if sitting for a longer time or maintaining one posture for a longer time; The most serious manifestation of the condition is a fracture. To prevent osteoporosis, the first step is to conduct disease risk screening. Chen Hailing suggests that patients with a family history, rheumatic and immune system diseases, digestive system diseases, neurological diseases, malignant tumors, and long-term use of hormone drugs, as well as those over 50 years old, should promptly go to a regular hospital's orthopedic department for osteoporosis testing. If early symptoms of osteoporosis are found, timely intervention and treatment should be carried out to prevent the disease from worsening. A balanced diet and good lifestyle habits can prevent osteoporosis and promote bone health. Chen Hailing suggests moderate intake of calcium rich foods and protein such as milk, yogurt, cheese, seaweed, etc., and maintaining a diversified diet. Older people should pay more attention to dietary calcium supplementation. Vitamin D helps with the absorption and utilization of calcium, and sun exposure is the safest way for the human body to supplement vitamin D. The best time to bask in the sun is between 11am and 2pm, lasting for 15-30 minutes each time. Try not to apply sunscreen and avoid using clothing or glass. Moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, swimming, cycling, and other aerobic activities, can improve cardiovascular function and promote blood circulation. Older people can engage in balance and flexibility training, such as dance, Tai Chi, etc., to reduce the risk of falls. If you already have osteoporosis, it is necessary to actively undergo anti osteoporosis treatment and supplement calcium and vitamin D reasonably Chen Hailing suggests that for elderly people or osteoporosis patients who have a normal diet but do not consume dairy products, an additional 500-600 milligrams of calcium supplements can be added daily. Does drinking coffee cause osteoporosis? Chen Hailing stated that moderate coffee consumption does not lead to osteoporosis, but excessive caffeine can increase the risk of osteoporosis. For healthy adults, consuming over 400 milligrams of caffeine per day, equivalent to 3 to 5 cups of coffee, increases the risk of osteoporosis. Tea, some carbonated drinks, functional drinks, and freshly made drinks (such as milk tea) also contain a lot of caffeine. In addition to controlling the amount of coffee consumed, it is also important to avoid excessive intake of caffeinated foods. (New Society)