Osteoporosis is commonly referred to as the “silent disease”, because bone loss can happen slowly over a long period of time without any warning symptoms, causing bones to become weak and brittle. Frequently people are not aware they have osteoporosis until they suffer from a broken bone, loss of height or develop a curve in their back causing them to hunch over.
According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, approximately 10 million Americans have osteoporosis and another 44 million Americans have osteopenia or low bone mass. (Find additional facts at: https://cdn.nof.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Osteoporosis-Fast-Facts.pdf)
Both men and women are at risk for osteoporosis. The likelihood of developing osteoporosis depends in part on how much bone mass you accumulate in your youth. Bone is a living tissue that is in a constant state of renewal. When you are young, your body makes new bone faster than it breaks old bone down and your bone mass increases reaching its peak during your late 20’s and early 30’s. As we age, our body breaks down old bone faster than it builds new bone causing us to begin to lose bone mass. If you were able to build a large amount of bone mass when you were younger, you are less likely to experience osteopenia or osteoporosis when you are older.
Symptoms of osteoporosis include:
- Back pain, caused by a fractured or collapsed vertebra
- Loss of height over time
- A stooped posture
- A bone that breaks much more easily than expected
Risk Factors for Osteoporosis include:
- Age
- Race
- Sex
- Family history
- Smaller body frame
- Sedentary lifestyle or lack of physical exercise especially when younger
- Poor diet including low calcium and vitamin D intake
- Certain medication like corticosteroids
- Autoimmune disease
- Digestive and gastrointestinal disorders
- Cancer
- Blood disorders
- Neurological disorders
- Endocrine or hormonal disorders
- AIDS/HIV
- COPD
- Liver or kidney disease
- Smoking
Osteoporosis is a Serious Condition
Osteoporosis can lead to a stooped or hunched posture causing severe back pain. It can limit mobility, leaving a person feeling isolated or depressed. Bone fractures due to osteoporosis are more likely to occur in the hip, spine or wrist, although other bones are also at risk of breaking. The bones do not heal as quickly and may require long-term nursing care. Approximately 20% of seniors die within one year of suffering from a hip fracture.
Stem Cell Therapy for Osteoporosis
Studies demonstrate a causal effect between osteoporosis and low or defective stem cells. In animal models, treatment using stem cells from umbilical cord derived tissue has the potential to increase bone strength, plasticity, and structure.1-3
Although animal models have shown stem cells derived from human umbilical cord tissue may be a potential treatment for osteoporosis, no human studies have been conducted.
Stem Cell Therapy at the Stem Cells Transplant Institute
The regenerative experts, at the Stem Cells Transplant Institute in Costa Rica, recommend stem cell therapy, using stem cells derived, cultured and expanded from human umbilical cord tissue, for the treatment of chronic, degenerative conditions such as; Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, osteoarthritis, Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, COPD and aging.
Stem cells are a type of undifferentiated cell that can be guided into becoming a specific type of cell, allowing physicians, trained in the field of regenerative medicine, to use stem cells to repair diseased or damaged tissue.
Stem cells have the ability to grow, repair and regenerate any type of human cell or tissue.
Stem cell therapy is a medical procedure that uses stem cells to repair damaged tissue from certain diseases or physical injuries.
Stem cell therapy can offer relief to patients suffering from chronic pain, difficult-to-heal injuries, and certain chronic conditions.
Advantages of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells
- Abundant supply containing up to 10 times more stem cells than bone marrow or adipose derived stem cells
- hUC-MSC have immunosuppressors and immunomodulatory properties that allow their use in any individual without rejection- Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) matching is not necessary
- Greater proliferation ability than adult autologous stem cells
- They regenerate at a very rapid rate
- They are young and very adaptive
- They have not been impacted by the aging process
- They have not been affected by environmental toxins
- Umbilical cord stem cells can be administered multiple times over the course of days
- Eliminates the need to collect stem cells from the patient’s fat or hip bone reducing pain and recovery time
About the Stem Cells Transplant Institute
Costa Rica has one of the best healthcare systems in world and is ranked among the highest for medical tourism. We are committed to providing personalized service and the highest quality of care to every patient. Contact us today to learn more about current and future potential treatments using stem cell therapy.
Scientific Publications
1 – Saito, Akira et. al., Umbilical cord extracts improve osteoporotic abnormalities of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and promote their therapeutic effects on ovariectomised rats. Scientific Reports volume 8, Article number: 1161 (2018)
2 – Yu-Show Fu, Chia-Hui Lu, Kuo-An Chu, et. al., Xenograft of Human Umbilical Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Wharton’s Jelly Differentiating into Osteocytes and Reducing Osteoclast Activity Reverses Osteoporosis in Ovariectomized Rats. First Published March 22, 2018, Research Article, https://doi.org/10.1177/0963689717750666
3 – Min Liang,Wanguo Liu,Zhibin Peng,Shihong Lv,Ying Guan,Gang An, et. al., The therapeutic effect of secretome from human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells in age-related osteoporosis. Pages 1357-1366 | Received 05 Mar 2019, Accepted 13 Mar 2019, Published online: 12 Apr 2019. https://doi.org/10.1080/21691401.2019.1596945
