It is usually a painless disease until a bone breaks or fractures. Fractures are the most common result of osteoporosis. More than 1.5 million osteoporosis-related fractures occur each year in the United States, mostly in older women. These fractures are usually in the spine, hip and wrist. Although not all causes of osteoporosis are known, loss of estrogen, due to menopause, is a known factor for women.
Osteoporosis is most common in older women.
Women who either have had early menopause or their ovaries surgically removed before age 45, without receiving estrogen treatment, also are more likely to develop osteoporosis. Other factors that make you likely to get osteoporosis include small body frame, excessive use of alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and doing excessively strenuous exercise that stops menstrual periods. Certain hormonal disorders such as hyperthyroidism, hyperparathyroidism and Cushings disease Other diseases such as chronic liver disease and intestinal disorders Aging is another factor in the cause of osteoporosis. Without treatment, men and women lose one to three percent of their bone mass each year after age 50. As life expectancies increase, osteoporosis may become even more prevalent unless preventive measures are taken.