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Osteoporosis makes your bones weak and more likely to break. Anyone can develop osteoporosis, but it is common in older women. As many as half of all women and a quarter of men older than 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.

Risk factors include

  • Getting older
  • Being small and thin
  • Having a family history of osteoporosis
  • Taking certain medicines
  • Being a white or Asian woman
  • Having osteopenia, which is low bone mass

Osteoporosis is a silent disease. You might not know you have it until you break a bone. A bone mineral density test is the best way to check your bone health. To keep bones strong, eat a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, exercise and do not smoke. If needed, medicines can also help.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Start Here
  • OsteoporosisNIHSeniorHealth(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
  • OsteoporosisInteractive Tutorial(Patient Education Institute) - Requires Flash Player
    Also available in Spanish
  • Osteoporosis OverviewFrom the National Institutes of Health(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)