Risk Factors for Osteoporosis

Bone disorders can be inherited from the immediate family. Understand if a family member has had broken a hip, rapidly lost height, increased mid-back curvature, or been diagnosed with osteoporosis.

Women over 65 and men over 75 are at greater risk because as we age the protective effect of our hormones reduces, and our skeleton rebuilds at a lesser rate than it is removed.

After menopause, oestrogen levels decline rapidly, causing bones to lose calcium and other minerals at a much faster rate.

People who are underweight have significantly increased fracture risk.

Smoking is detrimental to bone health and increases future fracture risk.

If you've broken a bone after a seemingly minor injury since your 50th birthday (especially a wrist, shoulder, spine or hip bone), there's a high chance you will break another within a year.

Some medications (long-term steroid use) have a critical role in managing other diseases but unfortunately have a negative effect on bone health, including medications used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and HIV.

Alcohol is detrimental to bone health and increases future fracture risk.

Understanding that you have osteoporosis and low bone mineral density without implementing adequate lifestyle modifications is significantly harmful to future fracture risk.