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Learning more about your risk for developing osteoporosis is the first step toward protecting yourself against this crippling, bone-thinning disease, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF).
More than 25 million Americans are affected by osteoporosis, a disease which leads to an excessive loss of bone tissue and an increased susceptibility to fractures. Osteoporosis-related fractures typically occur in the hip, spine, and wrist and can lead to pain, disability, and, in some cases, death.
NOF emphasizes, however, that osteoporosis can be prevented and most effectively treated if patients take steps early, before a fracture occurs. “Since osteoporosis is symptomless and the first sign of disease is often a fracture, it is essential that individuals assess their personal risk for the disease,” explains B. Lawrence Riggs, M.D., NOF president and distinguished investigator at the Mayo Foundation in Rochester, Minnesota.
Throughout life, the body maintains healthy bones by removing old bone tissue and replacing it with new bone tissue. Early in life, more bone is added than is taken away. After approximately age 35, however, the body begins removing more bone tissue that it replaces. In women, bone loss is accelerated after menopause when the body produces less estrogen, a hormone which plays an important role in maintaining bone health. For this reason, in cot\junction with a generally smaller
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