Osteoporosis

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

See, Play and Learn

• Videos and Tutorials

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Men
• Women
• Older Adults
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Osteoporosis is a disease that thins and weakens the bones. Your bones become fragile and fracture (break) easily, especially the bones in the hip, spine, and wrist. In the United States, millions of people either already have osteoporosis or are at high risk due to low bone mass.

Anyone can develop osteoporosis, but it is more common in older women. Risk factors include:

• Getting older
• Being small and thin
• Having a family history of osteoporosis
• Taking certain medicines
• Being a white or Asian woman
• Having low bone density

Osteoporosis is a silent disease. You might not know you have it until you break a bone. A bone mineral density test is the best way to check your bone health.

To keep bones strong, eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, exercise, and do not smoke. If needed, medicines can also help. It is also important to try to avoid falling down. Falls are the number one cause of fractures in older adults.

NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Start Here

• Osteoporosis (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Osteoporosis (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) Also in Spanish
• The Surgeon General's Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis: What It Means to You (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Bone Density Scan (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Bone Mineral Density Tests: What the Numbers Mean (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Exercise for Your Bone Health (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Healthy Bones at Every Age (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)
• Osteoporosis (Food and Drug Administration)
• Preventing Another Broken Bone (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Treatments and Therapies

• Bone Density: MedinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Osteoporosis Treatment (Endocrine Society)
• Osteoporosis Treatment: Medications Can Help (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty (American College of Radiology; Radiological Society of North America) Also in Spanish

Living With

• Calcium and Vitamin D: Important for Bone Health (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish
• Food and Your Bones -- Osteoporosis Nutrition Guidelines (Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation)

Related Issues

• Osteoporosis and Your Spine (Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation)
• Pelvic Fractures (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
• Recovering from Falls (Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation)
• Stress Fractures (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis (American College of Rheumatology) Also in Spanish

Genetics

• Hajdu-Cheney syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Juvenile primary osteoporosis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• Osteoporosis-pseudoglioma syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Videos and Tutorials

• Osteoporosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

• FastStats: Osteoporosis (National Center for Health Statistics)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Osteoporosis (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Osteoporotic Fractures (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Does the Choice of Operative Side Affect the Clinical Outcome of...
• Article: Patient Education Improves Pain and Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients...
• Article: The biomechanical effect of fibular strut grafts on humeral surgical neck...
• Osteoporosis -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Also in Spanish
• National Institutes of Health Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)

Children

• Kids and Their Bones (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish

Men

• Osteoporosis in Men (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish

Women

• Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, and Bone Health (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) Also in Spanish

Older Adults

• Exercising with Chronic Conditions (National Institute on Aging) Also in Spanish
• Osteoporosis in Aging: Protect Your Bones with Exercise (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Bone mineral density test (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Calcium, vitamin D, and your bones (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Exercise, lifestyle, and your bones (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Medicines for osteoporosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Osteoporosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• What causes bone loss? (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish