Osteoporosis

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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

Test Your Knowledge

Test Your Bone-Health Diet Knowledge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Test Your Osteoporosis Knowledge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
What's Your Osteoporosis Risk? (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

FastStats: Osteoporosis (National Center for Health Statistics)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Bone Diseases (National Institutes of Health)
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)

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