Case Study #1 EXSS 112L Complete the following case study by answering the questions below.

. The case study must be typed, and turned in next week prior to the bone exam. The answers must be in complete sentences and in a well thought-out paragraph. This extra credit assignment is worth a total of 7 points. No late assignments will be accepted

Julia is a 19 year old college sophomore. She has just returned home for the weekend to celebrate her grandmothers 64 th birthday. Julia has not seen her grandmother since the summer and she notices that she is looking shorter and her head and shoulders seem to be more rounded. After talking with her family, she realizes that her grandmother was recently diagnosed with osteoporosis. As a health care professional student, Julia is anxious to learn more about this diagnosis, so she makes a list of questions to ask her classmates and professors when she returns to school. The questions are:

What is osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disease of the bone. The bones become brittle due to loss of tissue within the bone. While anyone can develop the disease, it is most common in older women.

How specifically does osteoporosis affect the bone matrix and the remodeling cycle?
The main idea of osteoporosis is how it affects the bone matrix. In the disease, the osteoclasts are working more than the osteoblasts, resulting in more the break down of bone than the building of it. In other words, the remodeling cycle is inhibited.

What are some risk osteoporosis?

factors ( controllable and

uncontrollable ) for

The most obvious risk factor of osteoporosis is genetics. If a parent or sibling of yours has osteoporosis, you are at a much higher risk of developing the disease. A risk factor one can control is hormone levels. In women, as they age, estrogen production decreases. This puts them at a greater risk for osteoporosis because it is brought on by hormones or lack thereof. There are estrogen patches one can wear to prevent this.

Julia knows that calcium is good for bones but: What is the relationship between bones and calcium?

99% of our calcium intake (as long as we have the vitamin D to absorb it) is used for bone strength. Calcium and phosphate form the basic structure of bones. The calcium in the bones is also used as a calcium back-up for when the body needs calcium. It's important to have enough calcium.

What are some good sources of calcium since she is lactose intolerant?
Soy milk and lactaid milk are great sources of calcium without the lactose. In fact, soy milk contains more calcium than a regular glass of milk. There are also calcium supplements one can take.

Are there any types of exercises that can prevent osteoporosis?

Weight-bearing exercises can help prevent osteoporosis. It causes the muscles to work harder, pulling on the bones and increasing healthy blood flow and bone production. High impact exercises such as running also help.

What are the effects of caffeine, alcohol and smoking on the calcium levels in the body?
Alcohol, caffeine, and smoking all interfere with the pancreas and our body's ability to absorb vitamin D and calcium. It is especially bad for kids our age to be drinking and smoking as this extremely increases the risk for osteoporosis later in life. It's also not good to be smoking anyway.