Advanced Pathophysiology osteoporosis
The selected disorder is osteoporosis which leads to weak bones due to a reduction in the amount of estrogen produced in the body (Alswat, 2017). The disorder is higher among women compared to men. The scenario involves a woman aged 50 who has crossed the menopause age. She experiences back pain after a strenuous day or by bending to pick heavy objects. The patient has tried various pain-relieving medications, but the condition is not improving. She previously broke her left leg after falling off the stairs while she was walking to her bedroom upstairs. However, her husband of a similar age is not affected by back pain and his bones are still strong.
The gender factor may increase the chances of osteoporosis since women at menopause stage are vulnerable to breaking their bones (Bor et al., 2015). The symptoms of the disease are not evident until a woman experiences a bone fracture, back pain or loss of weight. During menopause estrogen levels drop and thus the number of osteoblasts produced by the body reduces. Therefore, the bones are not effectively formed leading to porous bones.
The pathophysiology of osteoporosis includes the reduction of skeletal mass. The condition is caused by an imbalance between resorption and bone formation (Bor et al., 2015). It occurs either due to increased re-sorption or reduction in the rate of developing strong bones. During the menopause stage the estrogen levels drop thus leading to poor formation or repair of bones. The condition affects two types of cells including osteoblasts cells responsible for bone formation and osteoclasts cells responsible for the resorption of the bones (Bor et al., 2015). When the two cells malfunction, the bone formation process is severely affected leading to weak bones that are prone to fractures.
References
Alswat, K. A. (2017). Gender disparities in osteoporosis. Journal of clinical medicine research, 9(5), 382.
Bor, A., Matuz, M., Gyimesi, N., Biczók, Z., Soós, G., & Doró, P. (2015). Gender inequalities in the treatment of osteoporosis. Maturitas, 80(2), 162-169.
