Also at risk are overly thin young women who do not produce enough estrogen to menstruate. Women with eating disorders also probably do not get enough calcium, which contributes to their risk. Detection of osteoporosis is most easily accomplished through a bone density test. A bone density test can detect osteoporosis before a fracture occurs and can help predict the risk of future fracture. Tests conducted at intervals can determine the rate of bone loss and monitor the effects of osteoporosis treatment.
Research is under way to develop blood and urine tests to screen for the disease.
This disease carries a heavy economic burden. Data from 1995 show that osteoporotic hip fractures were the presumed cause of 432,000 hospital admissions, almost 2.5 million physician visits and about 180,000 nursing home admissions in the United States. By one estimate, the number of hip fractures and their associated costs could more than triple by the year 2040. 6 Osteoporosis also affects the teeth, the mandible, the maxilla and the craniofacial complex. Loss of bone mass can lead to loose or lost teeth and resorption of oral alveolar bone.