What Is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis weakens bones and increases the likelihood of fractures in older adults.
Risk factors older age; female sex; prior fractures or falls; low body weight; having a parent who had a hip fracture; using oral steroid medications; cigarette smoking; excessive alcohol use; certain medical conditions and menopause before age 40 years, but many patients with osteoporosis have no symptoms.
Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), low-dose x-ray imaging that measures calcium and other minerals in the bones are used to screen and diagnose osteoporosis.
Antiresorptive drugs that decrease the breakdown of bone tissue and help reduce spine and hip fractures. Anabolic medications that prevent fractures by stimulating bone formation are prescribed for patients with severe osteoporosis.
