FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions with information I pulled from American Bone Health and the National Osteoporosis Foundation.  For a more complete list of answers to specific questions from American Bone Health, click here.

What is osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis literally means “porous bone.” There are 10 million Americans living with osteoporosis. See the Videos Page for a video that illustrates how osteoporosis works.

How serious is osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is serious because breaking a bone is serious. Usually older people with osteoporosis will break the hip, wrist, or spine, which causes severe pain and often limits their ability to function on a day-to-day basis. Posture and height can be lost as well. This can affect quality of life. Twenty percent of seniors who break a hip die within a year from related problems or surgery.

What can I do to prevent it?

Your body needs you to supply it with calcium, which is a vital part of maintaining strong bones. Vitamin D aids in absorption of calcium. Because you have built all the bone you will ever have by age 30, getting adequate vitamin D and calcium are important in the younger years to prevent osteoporosis later.  Also weight-bearing exercises (like jogging, walking, tennis, and weight training) have shown to help maintain bone mass.

What are good sources of calcium and vitamin D?

Milk is a great source of both minerals, but other foods are good for calcium are dairy products, dark green leafy veggies, nuts, and calcium fortified foods like orange juice, cereal, bread, and tofu. Sunlight directly on the skin for 20 minutes a day provides the body with vitamin D.

Who is at risk for osteoporosis?

Around 34 million Americans are at risk. Half of all women and one in four men over 50 are in danger of breaking a bone because of osteoporosis. Common risk factors include:

• Being female
• Being white
• Being post menopausal
• Having irregular periods
• Doing little or no exercise
• Being below a normal weight
• Being anorexic
• Having a small frame
• Having a family history of osteoporosis
• Smoking
• Drinking large amounts of alcohol
• Some medications and medical conditions contribute to bone loss

Do men ever have to worry about osteoporosis problems?

Yes. About 25% of men over 50 in America will get a fracture due to osteoporosis problems. And even though women are more prone to hip fractures, men die more often than women following a hip fracture.

What is osteopenia?

Osteopenia simply means low bone mass.  It doesn’t necessarily mean you have lost bone because you may have had low one mass to begin with. About 62% of your bone mass is based on genetics. Also, you may not have built bone when younger, leading to lower bone mass in the future.  Having low bone mass is a risk factor for osteoporosis.

How can I tell if I have osteoporosis?

Because you can’t feel osteoporosis happening, a lot of people don’t know they have it until a bone breaks. Your best bet is to take into account your risk factors and to get a bone mineral density (BMD) test. A quick, painless x-ray exam, a BMD or DXA test can tell you whether you have or are at risk for osteoporosis.

How is a BMD test measured?

After the test, you will be given a T-score.  Here is the breakdown:

Normal = T-Score greater than -1
Low Bone Mass (Osteopenia) = T-score from-1.1 to -2.4
Osteoporosis = T-score of -2.5 and lower
Severe Osteoporosis = T-score of osteoporosis + fracture

What are recommended treatments for osteoporosis?

Your personal treatment will depend on your T-score and other risk factors, but some prescription medications to consider include SERMS, bisphosphonate, and parathyroid hormone.