Online Osteoporosis Clinic


What is Osteoporosis?


Osteoporosis is a health condition that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break. It develops slowly over several years and is often only diagnosed when a fall or sudden impact causes a bone to break (fracture).

Factors that could increase the risk of developing Osteoporosis


Ethnicity

Whites and Asians are at higher risk, although both men and women of all ethnicities can be affected.

Sex

Women are at higher risk of developing osteoporosis, especially after menopause when their hormone levels drop.

Body frame

Lower BMI (body mass index) and smaller frames tend to have a higher risk of developing osteoporosis. This can be due to the genetic makeup of a person or secondary to an eating disorder. Family history: having a parent or sibling with osteoporosis put us at higher risk, especially if our mother or father suffered a fractured hip.

Age

The older we get, the balance between bone formation and break down can be disturbed due to a number of reasons including the process of ageing itself as well as a result of a chronic disease or medications.

Lifestyle

Smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, inactivity and unhealthy diet puts us at increased risk of developing osteoporosis.

Medical conditions and medications

Some medical conditions like celiac disease, IBD (inflammatory bowel disease), cancer, rheumatoid arthritis plus treatments which are used to treat conditions like cancer, gastric reflux, seizures and transplant rejection can also contribute to development of osteoporosis.