Bone Health
As men and women get older, the health of their bones becomes more and more important. The main threat to healthy bones is osteoporosis, which is caused by a decrease in bone mass and bone density which results in brittle bones. People with osteoporosis are more likely to break their bones. Bone fractures related to osteoporosis usually occur in the hip, spine, ribs or wrist, although any bone may be affected. Osteoporosis is sometimes called a silent disease, as it often does not produce any symptoms until a fracture occurs. For this reason, patients are generally diagnosed with osteoporosis only after fracturing a bone.
Osteoporosis is most common in older adults, although it can strike at any age. While osteoporosis is more common in women, men have higher mortality rates after fracturing a bone.
Some of the factors that may lead to the development of osteoporosis include:
- a decreased bone mass that occurs with aging
- changing levels of the hormones testosterone and estrogen
- childhood and adolescent bone development
- certain medications (check with you doctor)
- some lifestyle factors such as smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise
