page_title: Osteopenia
section_title: Risk factors
hierarchical_section_title: Osteopenia / Risk factors
caption_attribution_description: English: Bone density peaks at about 30 years of age. Women lose bone mass more rapidly than men.
context_page_description: Osteopenia, preferably known as "low bone mass" or "low bone density", is a condition in which bone mineral density is low. Because their bones are weaker, people with osteopenia may have a higher risk of fractures, and some people may go on to develop osteoporosis. In 2010, 43 million older adults in the US had osteopenia.
  There is no single cause for osteopenia, although there are several risk factors, including modifiable and non-modifiable. For people with risk factors, screening via a DXA scanner may help to detect the development and progression of low bone density. Prevention of low bone density may begin early in life and includes a healthy diet and weight-bearing exercise, as well as avoidance of tobacco and alcohol. The treatment of osteopenia is controversial: non-pharmaceutical treatment involves preserving existing bone mass via healthy behaviors. Pharmaceutical treatment for osteopenia, including bisphosphonates and other medications, may be considered in certain cases but is not without risks. Overall, treatment decisions should be guided by considering each patient's constellation of risk factors for fractures.
context_section_description: Many divide risk factors for osteopenia into fixed (non-changeable) and modifiable factors. Osteopenia can also be secondary to other diseases. An incomplete list of risk factors:
caption: Bone density peaks at 35 and then decreases with age.
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