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In addition use of lithium, anti-convulsants, some diuretics, long-term use of the blood thinning medication heparin, the cancer treatment drug methotrexate, some anti-seizure medications and some aluminium-containinganti-acids can all cause bone loss and increase the risk of developing Osteoporosis. Also a recent research showed a lower bone mineral density among both men and women currently using Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) compared to study participants not taking these anti-depressants.
Among the medical conditions and diseases enhancing the risk of developing Osteoporosis are: AIDS/HIV, Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Diabetes, Eating Disorders, Gastrectomy, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Hyperparathyroidism, Thyrotoxicosis, Malabsorption and Cushing's syndrome, a rare disorder in which the adrenal glands produce excessive corticosteroid hormones.
Often Osteoporosis is casually revealed following a radiographic exam, usually being done for other diagnostic reasons. However, X-ray exams only detect Osteoporosis in the later stages. The only symptom is pain which regresses only after bed rest. The specific diagnostic exams for detecting early stages of Osteoporosis are Bone Density tests and Bone Densiometry.
