Besides pain, fractures can result in loss of independence. A person may not be able to walk, get dressed, use the bathroom, shop for groceries, or cook meals. Hip fractures can also be fatal. Up to 20 percent of people with hip fractures die from complications within a year of having a hip fracture. Risk Factors for Osteoporosis Gender .
Females are about four times more likely than men to develop osteoporosis.
Females tend to have less bone mass than men do. With menopause, females lose the hormone estrogen, that helps deposit calcium in bones. As a result, for the first five years after menopause females lose bone mass faster than men do. In addition, from the teen years on, females tend to have a lower calcium intake than men. Caucasians and Asians have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis because they tend to be smaller boned.