Osteoporosis What Increases Your Risk
Risk factors that cannot be controlled include:
Age. Bones become thinner as a person ages. Women after menopause and men after the age of 45 to 50 are more likely to develop osteoporosis than younger people.
Sex. Women develop osteoporosis almost 5 times more often than men 1. This is because women have less total bone than men and they break down bone more rapidly than men. In addition, women lose their protection against osteoporosis when they no longer make estrogen (menopause).
Race. People from European and Asian backgrounds are more likely to have osteoporosis than people from other backgrounds.
Family history of osteoporosis. People who come from families where other members have osteoporosis are more likely to develop the condition.
Slender figure. Slender people are more likely to develop osteoporosis because they have less bone tissue and less fat than heavier people. Fat tissue stores estrogen, which helps protect women from osteoporosis.
Difficulty digesting dairy products. Dairy products are good sources of calcium. People who avoid dairy products may not get enough calcium. For more information about difficulty digesting dairy products, see the topic Lactose Intolerance.
Decreasing levels of certain hormones (testosterone in men and estrogen in women). A woman’s body naturally makes less estrogen at the time of menopause. In addition, women who no longer have menstrual periods, either because their ovaries are not working properly (such as when they are very underweight) or because their ovaries have been removed through surgery, are more likely to develop osteoporosis.
Staying in bed for long periods of time. Bones start to become thinner if a person is not active for long periods of time.
Having certain medical conditions or taking certain medications.
Other risk factors include 1:
Not getting enough calcium, phosphorus, andvitamin D each day. About 75% of women do not get the amount of calcium they need each day 2.
Getting little or no weight-bearing exercise. Weight-bearing exercises (such as walking, jogging, stair climbing, dancing, or lifting weights) keep bones strong and healthy by working the muscles and bones against gravity.
Smoking. People who smoke are at a higher risk for developing osteoporosis than people who do not smoke. The cause of bone thinning in people who smoke is not known.
Drinking more than 1 alcoholic drink a day, ingesting large amounts of caffeine, or drinking large amounts of sodas.
Being a female athlete. Female athletes are at risk for developing osteoporosis because they usually have lower amounts of estrogen in their bodies. This is because estrogen is stored in fat tissue and female athletes usually have less body fat than other women.