Secondary osteoporosis

There are many different causes for secondary osteoporosis. On the one hand, there are various hormonal disorders that ultimately lead to osteoporosis. These include among others: Taking some medications can also trigger osteoporosis, for example long-term therapy with cortisol (mechanism similar to Cushing’s syndrome) or heparin, cytostatic drugs, lithium, vitamin K antagonists, thyroid hormones or aromatase inhibitors.

Furthermore, there are diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: anorexia nervosa, malnutrition and absorption (i.e. malnutrition), all of which ultimately contribute to the development of osteoporosis by reducing the absorption of important minerals below a necessary level. In addition, some malignant diseases are also associated with osteoporosis, such as myeloproliferative diseases (such as leukemia), mastocytosis or multiple myeloma. Other causes may be: Underweight, a lack of folic acid or vitamin B12, the chronic inflammatory intestinal diseases Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, diabetes mellitus, kidney failure and some congenital diseases or syndromes such as Ehlers-Danlos and Marfan syndrome or vitreous bone disease (osteogenesis imperfecta).

In addition, a poor lifestyle can cause osteoporosis or at least promote its development. This means in detail that alcohol and cigarette smoke, a poor diet (i.e. unbalanced, too few nutrients and vitamins, too little calcium, too much phosphate, too little protein, too extreme diets) and not enough exercise are all important risk factors for osteoporosis.

An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism),
An overfunction of the parathyroid glands and a resulting excess of parathyroid hormone (hyperparathyroidism),
A Cushing’s syndrome (hypercortisolism) or
Dysfunction of the testicles (hypogonadism).

Risk factors

Summarizing from the above descriptions, the following risk factors for the development of osteoporosis can be named:

Familial predispositions
Total surgery for women
Onset of menopause
Calcium and/or vitamin D deficiency
Too little movement
Excessive consumption of cigarettes, coffee and/or alcohol
Taking various medications (e.g. cortisone, heparin)
Mental illnesses like anorexia and bulimia