Approximately one in two women older than 50, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, will break a bone because of osteoporosis. A woman’s risk of breaking a hip is equal to her combined total risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer.
What Is Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis is a condition that affects bone strength. Our bones are made of collagen fibers and minerals. The cells that comprise our bones make, mold and reabsorb (or take back) bone. As we grow, our bone formation exceeds bone resorption, but after about the age of 35, this process reverses, and we begin to lose a certain amount of our bone mass. As we age, our bones lose density and strength, to varying degrees.
Why Are Women at Greater Risk Than Men?
There are many reasons that women are at a greater risk of developing osteoporosis than men. Women tend to have smaller, thinner bones than their male counterparts. In women, estrogen, a hormone that helps protect the bones, decreases sharply when she reaches menopause, which can lead to bone loss. Because of this, a woman’s risk of developing osteoporosis increases significantly as she leaves her childbearing years.
What Are My Risks for Developing Early-Onset Osteoporosis?
Osteoporosis among those younger than 50 is considered rare, but findings are showing that the disease may not be as rare as once believed. According to a study conducted by the University of Arkansas, 2 percent of college-aged women had bone densities low enough to be considered osteoporosis, and 15 percent had bone densities low enough to put them in the osteoporosis risk range.