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What
is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a disorder of the bones characterized
by decreased bone mass (generalized thinning of
the bones), which also decreases bone strength.
Because weakened bones aremore fragile and more
likely to break, people with osteoporosis are at
increased risk of fractures, especially fragility
fractures (broken bones that happen with little
or no trauma). In the United States, osteoporosis
causes more than 1.3 million fractures annually
and is much more common in women than in men. The
most common first fracture is a wrist fracture,
which typically occurs at age 50 to 70 in women.
Hip fractures and fractures of the spine (compression
fractures) may also occur and are most common in
patients who are in their 70s. Osteoporosis can
cause a great deal of suffering, and it can also
increase the risk of death, particularly after a
hip fracture.
What
does your doctor look for?
When taking your history, your doctor will look
for factors that increase your risk of osteoporosis.
These risk factors include:
> Being female
> Being age 40
or older Being a postmenopausal woman who does
not take estrogen replacement medication
> Having a diet
low in calcium
> Leading a sedentary
lifestyle, with little or no routine exercise
> Being thin
> Taking certain
medications, such as prednisone
> Having a certain
ethnic background (Caucasians and those of Asian
descent are more at risk for osteoporosis than
African- Americans)
> Smoking
> Using alcohol
to excess
> Having a family
history of osteoporosis
> Having a history
of at least one fragility fracture
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