Doctor, what is osteoporosis and how can I tell if I have it?

Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease in humans. Osteo means bone. Porosis means porous, full of tiny holes. Osteoporosis is a disease that can cause bones to become thin, brittle and more likely to break. Bone is a living tissue that is constantly renewing itself, replacing old bone with new bone. If too much old bone is removed and too little new bone is formed, bone loss can occur. The result is porous, brittle bone. Bone loss is a natural part of aging in menopausal women, but osteoporosis and its subsequent complications don’t have to be.

Osteoporosis poses a serious health threat to women. Women are more at risk than men because their bones are smaller and lighter than men’s. Osteoporosis is a silent disease with few warning signs or symptoms. It can lead to fractures and loss of mobility. Each year there will be more osteoporotic fractures than strokes, heart attacks and breast cancers combined. Fractures can occur from simple daily activities like carrying a bag of groceries, lifting a grandchild, or even a minor injury. The most common fractures are those of the spine, hip and wrist. Fractures may be followed by full recovery or chronic pain, disability and death. Twenty-four percent of hip fracture patients over the age of 50 will die in the year following their fracture from complications like blood clots or pneumonia; 25 percent will require long-term nursing home care and only 40 percent will fully regain their previous level of independence. Fractures of the spine can cause back pain, height loss, kyphosis (curved back) as well as death.

More than 58 percent of women ages 50-59, more than 74 percent of women ages 60-69 and more than 90 percent of women over 70 have thinning bones and are at risk of osteoporosis. Many women have osteoporosis and never realize it until they experience their first broken bone. Factors that increase the likelihood of developing osteoporosis include: being female, being Caucasian, having gone through menopause, personal or family history of fractures, family history of osteoporosis, low body weight (less than 127 pounds), smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking steroids or thyroid medicine. Additional risk factors include lack of exercise, poor health, vision problems, dementia and a diet low in calcium.

The good news is osteoporosis can be prevented and treated, once detected. The best way to diagnose osteoporosis is by Bone Mineral Density testing (BMD). BMD testing measures bone mass in the heel, spine, hip, hand or wrist. The devices used for testing may vary, but they all involve some form of X-ray. BMD tests are simple, safe and painless, and most take only a few minutes. Low bone density at any site increases your risk for fracture. BMD testing can also monitor your rate of bone loss and response to therapy.