Elderly population osteoporosis

Fluorine is widely distributed in Nature, representing about 0.065% of the earth s crust, making it the 13th most abundant element. It is more abundant than chlorine and much more abundant than common metals such as zinc and copper. Fluorine occurs in many minerals in which fluoride ion replaces hydroxide. The conversion of hydroxyapatite to flu-oroapatite strengthens tooth enamel. However, this would result in an increased brittleness in bones. An untested theory is that the widespread use of fluoride in drinking water, which had remarkable benefits in preventing dental caries in the 1960s, may be the cause of the rise in osteoporosis in the elderly population. 

Osteoporosis is an age-related disorder estimated to affect twice as many women as men.1 Characterized by loss of bone mass over a lifetime, it accounts for more than one million fractures annually with one of every five American women over 65 years old having one or more fractured bones.2 3 With the elderly projected to represent 25% of the population by 2030, the consequences of bone loss are a significant public health problem. 

The dose (CdU)-response rate of increased calci-uria (> 9.8 mmol/24h) suggested a 10% prevalence of hypercalciuria when CdU exceeded 1.9 pg Cd/ 24h [31]. Hypercalciuria should be considered an early adverse tubulotoxic effect, because it may exacerbate the development of osteoporosis, especially in the elderly. A prospective study from 1992-1995 (median follow-up of 6.6 years) in the above-mentioned Cadmibel subcohort from the rural area showed for a two-fold increase in urinary Cd a significant (p<0.02) decrease of 0.01 g/ cm2 jn forearm bone density in post-menopausal women. In addition, the relative risks associated with doubled urinary Cd were 1.73 (95% Cl 1.16-2.57 p=0.007) for fractures in women and 1.60 (0.94-2.72 p=0.08) for height loss in men. Cadmium excretion in the four districts near the smelters was 22.8% higher (p=0.001) than in the six other districts, with fractme rates of 16.0 and 10.3 cases per 1000 person-year, respectively, and a population-attributable risk of 35%... 

Lack of available dietary Ca is a major factor in the development of Osteoporosis, a condition prevalent in the elderly, which is associated with a loss of strength and total bone mass. Nutritional studies indicate dietary Ca deficiencies are much more likely than P deficiencies and, coupled with ageing populations, this makes osteoporosis a far more serious problem than hypophosphatemia. 

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