Around one in five women over 50 suffer from osteoporosis – a serious chronic disease that weakens the bones to the point of breaking.
And one in two women over 50 break a bone due to osteoporosis.
Often people don’t realize they have osteoporosis until they break a bone.
Risk factors for osteoporosis
To be a woman
4 out of 5 people with osteoporosis are women
- Women with small frame/low body weight are at higher risk
Ethnicity
- White people have a higher risk of fractures due to osteoporosis, but black women experience worse outcomes after osteoporotic fractures
A family history of osteoporosis
- A parent or sibling with osteoporosis
- A mother or father with a history of hip fractures
Caution: If you have broken a bone after a minor fall, you may have osteoporosis. And breaking a bone after age 50 carries a high risk of future fractures.
Going through perimenopause and menopause
- Low estrogen levels weaken bones
- Women lose bone mass rapidly 2 years before menopause and up to 5 years afterward
- A hysterectomy, with or without removal of the ovaries
Women who enter menopause early – before age 45 – have an increased risk of osteoporosis.
Lifestyle factors
- Smoke
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- A diet low in vitamin D, calcium, protein or calories
- Lack of exercise
Living with health conditions including:
Taking certain medications
- Epilepsy medications
- Glucocorticoids
- Adrenocorticotropic hormones
- Some cancer drugs
- Proton pump inhibitors
- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
- Thiazolidinediones
If you have risk factors for osteoporosis, talk to your doctor.
A simple imaging test like a DEXA scan can help assess your bone health and create a plan to prevent bone loss.
This educational resource was created with support from UCB, a member of the HealthyWomen Corporate Advisory Council.
