Osteopenia

What is osteopenia? Osteopenia is a condition that begins as you lose bone mass and your bones get weaker. This happens when the inside of your bones become brittle from a loss of calcium. It’s very common as you age. Total bone mass peaks around age 35. Sometimes, osteopenia is a precursor to osteoporosis. People who have osteopenia are at a higher risk of having osteoporosis. Symptoms of osteopenia Most people who have osteopenia don’t have symptoms. Loss of bone mass isn’t painful. Broken bones or fractures can occur, but these problems tend to happen once you have osteoporosis. What causes osteopenia? During your life, your bones constantly change. New bone grows while old bone breaks down and your body absorbs it. When you’re young, you grow new bone faster than your body breaks down old bone. This contributes to a high bone mass. Once your body starts to break down old bone faster than it creates new bone, your bone mass begins to decrease. Loss of bone mass weakens your bones and can cause them to break. The beginning of this decline is known as osteopenia. For some people, it can lead to osteoporosis, which is more severe. Women are more likely to have osteopenia than men. This is due to several factors. Women have a lower bone mass overall and absorb less calcium than men do. They also tend to live longer. In women, the rate of bone loss speeds up after menopause as estrogen levels fall. Since the ovaries make estrogen, faster bone loss will occur if both ovaries ...

About 18 million Americans have Not everyone with Assessing Bone Health Bone health is measured in two ways: by density and by mass. Bone mass means how much bone you have. Bone density means how thick the bone is. Bone Density and Osteopenia To find bone density, your doctor measures the levels of minerals in your bones. These minerals include: • • Phosphate • Other minerals The more dense your bone mineral content, the stronger your bones are. As people age, Bone Mass and Osteopenia Bone mass is the amount of bone you have. Usually, bone mass peaks around age 30. Then bone mass begins to decline. Bone is reabsorbed by your body faster than new bone can be made. Are You At Risk for Osteopenia and Osteoporosis? Often, people with osteopenia are not aware they have this problem. In fact, the first sign of osteopenia may be a broken bone. A broken bone may mean that the condition has already become osteoporosis. The risk factors for developing osteopenia are the same as those for developing osteoporosis. They include: - Being female - Being thin and/or having a small frame - Getting too little - Smoking - Leading an inactive lifestyle - A history of anorexia nervosa - A family history of osteoporosis - Heavy alcohol consumption - Early menopause Diagnosing Osteopenia The most accurate way to diagnose osteopenia and osteoporosis is through bone mineral density testing. This is usually done with a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan. • Normal bone: T-score above -1 • ...

Overview Osteoporosis causes bones to become weak and brittle — so brittle that a fall or even mild stresses such as bending over or coughing can cause a fracture. Osteoporosis-related fractures most commonly occur in the hip, wrist or spine. Bone is living tissue that is constantly being broken down and replaced. Osteoporosis occurs when the creation of new bone doesn't keep up with the loss of old bone. Symptoms There typically are no symptoms in the early stages of bone loss. But once your bones have been weakened by osteoporosis, you might have signs and symptoms that include: • Back pain, caused by a fractured or collapsed vertebra • Loss of height over time • A stooped posture • A bone that breaks much more easily than expected When to see a doctor You might want to talk to your doctor about osteoporosis if you went through early menopause or took corticosteroids for several months at a time, or if either of your parents had hip fractures. Osteoporosis weakens bone Under a microscope, healthy bone has the appearance of a honeycomb matrix (top). Osteoporotic bone (bottom) is more porous. Your bones are in a constant state of renewal — new bone is made and old bone is broken down. When you're young, your body makes new bone faster than it breaks down old bone and your bone mass increases. After the early 20s this process slows, and most people reach their peak bone mass by age 30. As people age, bone mass is lost faster than it's created. How likely you are to develop ...

Osteopenia refers to having low bone density when compared to others of the same age. Bone density refers to the mass and strength of the bone. While osteopenia does not often cause symptoms, it may increase the risk of other, more harmful bone conditions, such as Throughout life, the body reabsorbs or breaks down bone cells. However, other specialized cells use As a person ages, the body reabsorbs the bone cells faster than it can replace them, which leads to a decrease in bone density. In this article, we explain the causes of low bone density, as well as ways to boost bone density and prevent osteoporosis. Share on Pinterest Osteopenia occurs in about half of all people over the age of 50 years in the United States. According to Harvard Medical School, around half of all people Women, especially after Additional risk factors include: • Diet: A person who has a diet that is low in • Smoking: Calcium helps a person build strong bones. Smoking interferes with the amount of calcium the bones can absorb and may speed up bone density loss. • Some medications: Certain medications can accelerate bone loss, especially in those people who take it for extended periods. For example, some anti-seizure medications, • Certain medical conditions: Having certain medical conditions, such as The bones contain minerals including phosphate and calcium that make them strong and dense. The weaker the bones become, the more easily they break. Due to a lack of symptoms, most people do not know ...

If you're undergoing osteoporosis treatment, you're taking a step in the right direction for your bone health. But perhaps you have questions about your therapy. Is the medication you're taking the best one for you? How long will you have to take it? Why does your doctor recommend a weekly pill when your friend takes a pill only once a month? Bisphosphonates are usually the first choice for osteoporosis treatment. These include: • Alendronate (Fosamax), a weekly pill • Risedronate (Actonel), a weekly or monthly pill • Ibandronate (Boniva), a monthly pill or quarterly intravenous (IV) infusion • Zoledronic acid (Reclast), an annual IV infusion Another common osteoporosis medication is denosumab (Prolia, Xgeva). Unrelated to bisphosphonates, denosumab might be used in people who can't take a bisphosphonate, such as some people with reduced kidney function. Denosumab is delivered by shallow injections, just under the skin, every six months. If you take denosumab, you might have to do so indefinitely unless your doctor transitions you to another medication. Recent research indicates that there could be a high risk of spinal fractures after stopping the drug, so it's important that you take it consistently. The main side effects of bisphosphonate pills are stomach upset and heartburn. Don't lie down or bend over for 30 to 60 minutes to avoid the medicine washing back up into the esophagus. Most people who follow these tips don't have these side effects. Bisphosphonate pills are...

Osteopenia is a loss of bone mineral density (BMD) that weakens bones. It’s more common in people older than 50, especially women. Osteopenia has no signs or symptoms, but a painless screening test can measure bone strength. Certain lifestyle changes can help you preserve bone density and prevent osteoporosis. Overview What is osteopenia? Osteopenia is a loss of bone mineral density (BMD). Lower BMD indicates you have fewer minerals in your bones than you should, which makes bones weaker. What’s the difference between osteopenia and osteoporosis? Osteopenia isn’t as severe as How common is osteopenia? Osteopenia is a common condition, affecting about 34 million Americans. It’s especially common among: • All people older than 50 years. • People with poor nutrition. • Women after menopause. Symptoms and Causes What causes osteopenia? Bones are made of living tissue. Up until about age 30, a healthy person builds more bone than he or she loses. But after age 35, bones begin to break down faster than they build up. Even in a healthy person, bone density decreases throughout life, by less than 1 percent per year. Some things can make bone loss happen more quickly, leading to osteopenia, such as: • Medical conditions such as • Medications such as • Hormonal changes during menopause. • Poor nutrition, especially a diet too low in calcium or vitamin D. • Surgery on the gastrointestinal system, which can affect the body’s ability to absorb needed nutrients and minerals. • Unhealthy...