Although both men and women may be diagnosed, women are most commonly affected. There are many factors, which may contribute to the development of weakening of the bone structure, and many strategies for prevention. This article was written in May 1999 and covers risk factors, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of this increasingly common health issue, which may affect one in two women over the age of fifty. Osteoporosis is the term given to a progressive degeneration of the structure, density and strength of the bone.
Osteoporosis literally means porous bones .
Over time, bones have less available calcium and become brittle, fragile and tend to break easily. Any bone of our body is at risk, though most breakages occur in the hip, spine, ribs and forearm, often from an incident as simple as bumping a wall or tripping over a floor rug. Gradual thinning of the bones, known as osteopenia, affects all people as part of the natural ageing process. Acceleration of this process, for a variety of reasons, leads to the development of osteoporosis. The structure of bone resembles honeycomb with a hard smooth outer shell covering a less dense inner tissue.