Osteopenia vs osteoporosis

• The T-score on your bone density report shows how much your bone mass differs from the bone mass of an average healthy 30 year old adult. A A T-score is a standard deviation — a mathematical term that calculates how much a result varies from the average or mean. The score that you receive from your bone density (BMD or DXA) test is measured as a standard deviation from the mean. The manufacturers of the DXA machines have programmed them to use a formula to compute these values. How Often Should I Get Tested? One standard deviation is equal to a 10–12% difference in bone mass. If you are exactly equal to the peak bone mass of an average 30-year-old, you do not deviate at all from the average so your T-score would be 0 standard deviations (SD). If your bones are stronger than the average adult, your bone mass may be +1 or +2 SD indicating that your bones have a mass 10–20% above that of the average 30 year old. If your bones are less dense than the average adult, your standard deviation may be -2 or -3 indicating that your bone mass is 20–30% below that of the average 30 year old. Definition of Osteoporosis and Osteopenia (low bone density) Osteoporosis was defined by the World Health Organization in 1994 as a T-score that is 25% lower than the average 30 year old or 2½ standard deviations below the mean or a T-score lower than -2.5. Some people have low bone density. You may hear this called osteopenia. Osteopenia is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as 10% t...

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...

Think of it as a midpoint between having healthy bones and having osteoporosis. Your bones are usually at their densest when you’re about 30. Osteopenia, if it happens at all, usually occurs after age 50. The exact age depends how strong your bones are when you're young. If they're hardy, you may never get osteopenia. If your bones aren't naturally dense, you may get it earlier. Osteopenia -- or seeing it turn into osteoporosis for that matter -- is not inevitable. Who Is Most Likely to Get It? This condition happens when your body gets rid of more bone than it is creating. Some people are genetically prone to it, with a family history of the condition. You're also more likely to get it if you're a woman. Women have lower bone mass than men. Also, women live longer, which means their bones age more, and they usually don't get as much What Are the Medical Causes? Sometimes, you may have a medical condition or treatment that can trigger the condition. • Untreated • An • • Certain medications. These include Are There Lifestyle Causes? Problems in your • A lack of calcium or • Not enough exercise, especially • • Too much How Is It Diagnosed? Osteopenia usually doesn't have any symptoms. This makes it hard to diagnose unless you have a bone mineral density test. The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends the test if you meet any of the following: • You’re a woman 65 or older • You’re a postmenopausal woman 50 or older • You’re a woman at the age of menopause and have a hig...

Osteopenia is lower than normal bone density (BMD), peaking at 35 years old. BMD measures how much mineral is in bones and the likelihood of bone breaking. Though osteopenia means a lower BMD than normal, it’s not a disease. However, having osteopenia does increase your chances of developing You can take action to prevent osteopenia. The right exercise and food choices may help keep your bones strong. If you have osteopenia, ask your doctor how to improve and prevent worsening so you can avoid osteoporosis. Aging is the most common risk factor for osteopenia. After your bone mass peaks, your body breaks down old bone faster than it builds new bone. That means you lose some bone density. Women lose bone more quickly after menopause, due to lower estrogen levels. If you lose too much, your bone mass may drop low enough to be considered osteopenia. About • being female • a family history of low BMD • being older than age 50 • • removal of ovaries before menopause • not getting enough exercise • a diet lacking calcium and vitamin D • smoking or using other forms of tobacco • drinking too much alcohol or caffeine • taking Certain other conditions can also increase your risk of developing osteopenia: • • • • • • inflammatory conditions like Who should be tested for osteopenia? The • a woman age 65 or older • younger than 65, postmenopausal, and have one or more risk factors • postmenopausal and you’ve broken a bone from a normal activity, like pushing a chair to stand up or vacu...

I’m not surprised by their confusion, because most physicians are just as confused when it comes to fracture risk. But the evidence is clear: osteoporosis and osteopenia are not the same thing, and their risk of fractures is not the same either. Here is the difference between osteopenia and osteoporosis, in a nutshell: Osteoporosis suggests a disease process; osteopenia is a description of lowered bone density. When you have a diagnosis of osteoporosis, it means you have an actual disorder that can be seen under a microscope. The word “osteoporosis” means “porous bone,” and a close look at the bones of someone with osteoporosis shows the bones are more like Swiss cheese than the spongy appearance of healthy bone. Osteoporosis is not a normal response to aging, but is indicative of long-term imbalances which culminate in a I’m always tempted to roll my eyes and say “Well, of course!” — because just as you might expect a 55-year-old woman’s hair to be a little grayer than a 25-year-old’s, it’s realistic to expect her bones wouldn’t be as dense as those of a woman 30 years younger. Osteoporosis warrants an extensive work-up looking for causes of excessive bone loss. Osteopenia may or may not be an early warning sign of bone weakening and generally does not trigger the need for a work-up or conventional medical treatment — with some exceptions. Since osteoporosis is a disease process with a lot of Osteopenia, however, is not a diagnosis nor a disease and often, in fact, is the...

Overview A bone density test determines if you have osteoporosis — a disorder characterized by bones that are more fragile and more likely to break. The test uses X-rays to measure how many grams of calcium and other bone minerals are packed into a segment of bone. The bones that are most commonly tested are in the spine, hip and sometimes the forearm. Bone density With bone loss, the outer shell of a bone becomes thinner and the interior becomes more porous. Normal bone is strong and flexible. Osteoporotic bone is weaker and subject to fracture. Doctors use bone density testing to: • Identify decreases in bone density before you break a bone • Determine your risk of broken bones (fractures) • Confirm a diagnosis of osteoporosis • Monitor osteoporosis treatment The higher your bone mineral content, the denser your bones are. And the denser your bones, the stronger they generally are and the less likely they are to break. Bone density tests differ from bone scans. Bone scans require an injection beforehand and are usually used to detect fractures, cancer, infections and other abnormalities in the bone. Although osteoporosis is more common in older women, men also can develop the condition. Regardless of your sex or age, your doctor may recommend a bone density test if you've: • Lost height. People who have lost at least 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) in height may have compression fractures in their spines, for which osteoporosis is one of the main causes. • Fractured a bone....