Who is at risk for developing osteoporosis?

Who is at risk for developing osteoporosis?

There are many risk factors that increase your chance of developing osteoporosis, with two of the most significant being gender and age.

Everyone’s risk for osteoporosis fractures increases with age. However, women over the age of 50 or postmenopausal women have the greatest risk of developing osteoporosis. Women undergo rapid bone loss in the first 10 years after entering menopause, because menopause slows the production of estrogen, a hormone that protects against excessive bone loss.

Age and osteoporosis affect men also. You might be surprised to know that men over the age of 50 are more likely to have an osteoporosis-induced bone break than to get prostate cancer. About 80,000 men per year are expected to break a hip, and men are more likely than women to die in the year after a hip fracture.

Your risk of developing osteoporosis is also linked to ethnicity. Caucasian and Asian women are more likely to develop osteoporosis. However, African-American and Hispanic women are still at risk. In fact, African-American women are more likely than white women to die after a hip fracture.

Another factor is bone structure and body weight. Petite and thin people have a greater risk of developing osteoporosis because they have less bone to lose than people with more body weight and larger frames.

Family history also plays a part in osteoporosis risk. If your parents or grandparents have had any signs of osteoporosis, such as a fractured hip after a minor fall, you may have a greater risk of developing the disease.

Finally, some medical conditions and medications increase your risk. If you have or had any of the following conditions, some of which are related to irregular hormone levels, you and your healthcare provider might consider earlier screening for osteoporosis.

• Overactive thyroid, parathyroid, or adrenal glands.
• History of bariatric (weight loss) surgery or organ transplant.
• Hormone treatment for breast or prostate cancer or a history of missed periods.
• Celiac disease, or inflammatory bowel disease.
• Blood diseases such as multiple myeloma.

Some medications cause side effects that may damage bone and lead to osteoporosis. These include steroids, treatments for breast cancer, and medications for treating seizures. You should speak with your healthcare provider or pharmacist about the effect of your medications on bones.

It may seem as though every risk factor is related to something that is out of your control, but that’s not true. You do have control over some of the risk factors for osteoporosis. You can discuss medication issues with your healthcare provider. And—you are in charge of your:

• Eating habits: You are more likely to develop osteoporosis if your body doesn’t have enough calcium and vitamin D. Although eating disorders like bulimia or anorexia are risk factors, they can be treated.
• Lifestyle: People who lead sedentary (inactive) lifestyles have a higher risk of osteoporosis.
• Tobacco use: Smoking increases the risk of fractures.
• Alcohol use: Having two drinks a day (or more) increases the risk of osteoporosis.