Learn About Medical Conditions

Osteoporosis makes your bones weak and more likely to break. Anyone can develop osteoporosis, but it is common in older women.

As many as half of all women and a quarter of men older than 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. Risk factors include:

• Getting older
• Being small and thin
• Having a family history of osteoporosis
• Taking certain medicines, especially steroids
• Low calcium intake when young
• Having osteopenia, which is low bone mass
• Smoking or alcohol use

Osteoporosis is a silent disease. You might not know you have it until you break a bone. A bone mineral density test is the best way to check your bone health.

What treatments are available?

Osteoporosis treatments are in the news lately. Because we stop building bone mass while we are still fairly young (age 35 or so), but we do not see the results of poor bone density until much later. Many doctors refer to osteoporosis as “A disease of the young that affects the old.” Prevention while we are young include a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, exercise and not smoking. Load-bearing exercise like running or jogging keeps bones dense.

We know that after women reach menopause they begin to lose bone mass quite rapidly. Every woman should discuss bone health with her physician at this point. If a screening shows poor bone density, medications may be prescribed to slow the loss.

How important is exercise?

Weight-bearing physical activity is very important, not only for building bone strength, but also because of what it's going to do for your overall health. The less active you are as you age, the more frail you become and the greater your risk of falls and fractures. Seek the advice of a physical therapist or instruction from your doctor for correct technique and safe exercise if you're unsure.