by J. van der Gaag

Created on: February 15, 2010

Several authors have referred to osteoporosis as a pediatric disease with geriatric consequences.  What they mean is that although osteoporosis is often considered a disease of the elderly, the path to weak, fragile bones begins very early.  The bone strength you build in your first two decades has to last you for life.  Once bone mass is gone it is nearly impossible to recover. 

Much of our osteoporosis risk is determined by fixed factors like age, sex, genetics and race, but lifestyle factors may influence up to 25% of total bone density (www.niams.nih.gov).  This means that if you understand your personal risk factors there are ways to avoid this crippling disease.

If you see yourself in the following list of risk factors, consider scheduling an appointment with your health care provider to discuss testing and preventive care.

Fixed risk factors:

Age – Risk increases steadily with age.  For women, osteoporosis rates spike at menopause, which typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55.

Gender – Female osteoporosis sufferers outnumber men four to one.  This is due to their lower initial bone mass and changes associated with menopause.

Ethnicity – Although all races are susceptible, people of Caucasian and Asian ancestry are most at risk for osteoporosis.

Family history – Osteoporosis is strongly hereditary.  Take note of any family history of height loss or unexplained fractures.

Low body weight/small frame – Those with small frames have less bone mass than their more rugged, “big-boned” counterparts, which means even a small bone loss is very serious.

The following risk factors may be somewhat changeable or treatable: 

Low female sex hormones - Estrogen strongly controls bone density.  Menopause, whether natural or not (e.g. surgery, cancer treatments), or an abnormal absence of menstruation (e.g. due to anorexia or excessive exercise) will increase osteoporosis risk.  

Low male sex hormones - Testosterone levels naturally decrease with age but, like estrogen, anything that reduces testosterone levels in men will increase osteoporosis risk.

Medical conditions - Many medical conditions increase osteoporosis risk, including hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, inflammatory bowel disease, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, certain malignancies (e.g. lymphoma, leukemia), and anorexia. 

Medications - Several medications increase osteoporosis risk, including

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