Osteoporosis

Age Category - Intermediate
Division - Biological Science
Students - Sabheen Khan
Mentor Information - No mentors

Project Summary

The purpose of my project is to investigate osteoporisis, and see if are there any medications or herbs that can reduce the risk in women and men. My hypothesis is that the risk of osteoporosis in women is higher as compared to men. The first section that I researched was the types of osteoporosis and who they affected. Juvenile osteoporosis, idiopathic juvenile osteoporosis and osteoarthritis are types of osteoporosis that I researched. Then to continue on with my research, I investigated the symptoms, prevalence, risk factors, medications needed and the cost of treatment for each type. Medications such as Parathyroid Hormone, Alendronate and alendronate plus vitamin D, Ibandronate, Risedronate and risedronate with calcium, and Calcitonin are the ones that I explored. Also, to back up my information for the higher rate of osteoporosis in women, I researched some reasons and the health factors that lead up to that stage of life. I studied many types of herbs that prevent osteoporosis in men and women, mimic estrogen and increase the estrogen levels in women. Some of the herbs that I looked at include alfalfa, oat straw, black cohosh, fever few and horse tail. In addition to the research that I did, I summarized some Trent university journals to back-up my findings with them. For the causes of osteoporosis, I looked at possible links between the risk factors and some common diseases found nowadays in women such as premenstrual syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis found in men and women. I gathered some information on bone density mineral and how the diseases can affect the bone density causing shredding or loss of bone resulting in low bone density mineral. I investigated different supplements and how each supplement contributes in decreasing loss of bone if you have a disease. In addition to the supplements, I researched the different types of supplements and how will they affect you if you take them together or separately. I analysed some charts and tables from the Trent University journals that show different results for different age groups with osteoporosis. Also, I summarized some information about an increase or decrease in the bone mineral density in the journal studies. Investigating increased or decreased risks of getting osteoporosis in men and women was also a part of my research and the conclusion that I came up with was that it depended on the kind of diet they ate and the different lifestyles that they had. Studying herbs with the same or different properties was also a part of my research, which showed that most of the herbs that had the same function in reducing the risk of osteoporosis contained a common compound. In conclusion, men and women who were at a higher risk of getting osteoporosis had most of the same risk factors and diseases. On the other hand, men and women who were at a lower risk of getting osteoporosis had the same healthy lifestyle and nutritional diet that prevented bone loss.