What Is Osteoporosis?

Definition: Osteoporosis is a condition which is characterized by loss of bone density, resulting in brittle bones which are subject to fracture. There are several risk factors associated with osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis Screening Quiz

Osteoporosis Facts & Figures From NIH:

Fact: Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for 44 million Americans, 68% of whom are women.

Fact: Osteoporosis can strike at any age.

Fact: In the U.S. today, 10 million people already have osteoporosis and 34 million more have low bone mass.

Fact: One out of every two women and one in four men over 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime.

Fact: More than 2 million American men suffer from osteoporosis, and millions more are at risk. Each year, 80,000 men have a hip fracture and one-third of these men die within a year.

Fact: Estimated national direct expenditures for osteoporosis and related fractures total $14 billion each year.

Osteoporosis is also responsible for more than 1.5 million U.S. fractures annually, including:

300,000 hip fractures

700,000 vertebral (spine) fractures

250,000 wrist fractures

more than 300,000 fractures at other sites

Healthy habits and other actions can help prevent and/or treat osteoporosis. Medications used for preventing and treating osteoporosis include:

Fosamax (alendronate)

Actonel (risedronate)

Boniva (ibandronate)

Didronel (etidronate)

Evista (raloxifene)

Miacalcin (calcitonin)

Forteo (teriparatide)

estrogen/hormone therapy

Also Known As: brittle bones, thin bones

Common Misspellings: osteoporosus, osteopoorosis

Examples: My doctor told me to take calcium supplements daily to help prevent osteoporosis.

_{Source: Osteoporosis Overview, The NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases ~ National Resource Center, Rev. 5/2006}