Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is thinning of the bones, and makes your bones break easily. Since there are no
symptoms, you might not know your bones are getting weaker until a break occurs. Osteoporosis can
affect any of your bones, but is most common in the hip, wrist, and in your spine, also called your
vertebrae. Because vertebrae support the body in standing and sitting upright, osteoporosis in
the vertebrae can cause serious problems for women. A fracture in this area can
result from such day-to-day activities as climbing stairs, lifting objects, or
bending forward. Other effects of osteoporosis in the vertebrae include sloping shoulders, curve in
the back, height loss, back pain, hunched posture, and a protruding abdomen.
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Testing, therapies, and preventing osteoporosis
Detecting osteoporosis and improving bone health. -
Risk factors
Factors that increase your chances of developing osteoporosis. -
Osteoporosis and pregnancy
Pregnancy-associated osteoporosis, and bone loss as a result of breastfeeding. -
Osteoporosis and lactose intolerance
How to ensure you're getting enough calcium when standard dairy products aren't an option.
- One in four men over age 50 will suffer a fracture caused by osteoporosis.
- Women, however, are still four times more likely than men to develop osteoporosis because of the loss of estrogen, which blocks or slows down bone loss, at menopause.
