Before age 30, new bone appears faster than old bone disappears. It affects about 28 million Americans. A decade or so ago, osteoporosis was considered an inevitable part of aging. Now, however, it can be detected early and treated effectively with diet, exercise, and medication. If left untreated, osteoporosis can lead to stooped posture and loss of height, as well as broken bones.
Osteoporosis is about four times more common in women than in men.
It also tends to run in families and occurs more often in slender people whose bones might be somewhat weak to begin with. Postmenopausal women are especially vulnerable to osteoporosis because of hormone changes. However, increased bone loss in women also can result from illness or too much exercise that interrupts the menstrual cycle. Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol also weaken bones in both men and women. Smoking seems to block the body's ability to maintain bone strength, and alcohol affects calcium absorption and reduces bone growth.