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What is osteopenia?

As you age, the inside of your bones become porous from a loss of calcium. This is called losing bone mass. Total bone mass tends to peak around age 35. Osteopenia refers to bone mass that is lower than your peak bone mass but not yet low enough to be considered osteoporosis. Osteopenia is not a disease, but if you meet the criteria for osteopenia, you are at higher risk for developing osteoporosis.

SYMPTOMS

What are the symptoms of osteopenia?

Osteopenia usually doesn’t cause any symptoms. Losing bone mass is not painful. Broken bones or fractures can occur, but these problems tend to happen after osteoporosis has developed.

CAUSES & RISK FACTORS

What causes osteopenia?

Your bones are constantly changing. New bone is growing while old bone is being broken down and reabsorbed by your body. When you are young, you grow new bone faster than your body breaks down old bone. This increases your bone mass. Once total bone mass has peaked, you start to lose it because your body is breaking down old bone faster than you can grow new bone. If you lose enough bone mass, your bones may weaken.

What are the risk factors for osteopenia?

The following things put you at increased risk for osteopenia. The more of these that apply to you, the higher your risk is. Contact your family healthcare provider about your risk factors.

• Aging
• Early menopause (before age 45)
• Surgery to remove ovaries before menopause
• Sedentary lifestyle (not getting enough exercise)
• Smoking or tobacco use
• Alcohol abuse
• Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia
• Hyperthyroidism, either from an overactive thyroid or from taking too much medicine to treat hypothyroidism.

Am I at risk for osteopenia?

Women are more likely to develop osteopenia than men. This is due to several factors. Women have less bone mass to begin with, tend to live longer and take in less calcium than do men. In women, the rate of bone loss speeds up after menopause, when estrogen levels fall. Since the ovaries make estrogen, faster bone loss will also occur if both ovaries are removed by surgery.

DIAGNOSIS & TESTS

How can I know if I have osteopenia?

If your healthcare provider suspects you have low bone mass, they may suggest you have a bone density test. A common test that measures bone density is called a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). This test measures the density of the bones in your hips, spine and wrist.

TREATMENT

How is osteopenia treated?

It is important to treat low bone mass to keep it from progressing into osteoporosis. Treatment starts with changes to your lifestyle. Your healthcare provider will want you to increase your physical activity, especially weight-bearing exercise. Weight-bearing exercise can help your bones become stronger. It can also build muscle and improve your balance, both of which can help prevent against broken bones. Examples of weight-bearing exercise include walking, jogging and climbing steps.

Your healthcare provider will also suggest ways to get more calcium and vitamin D in your diet. Non‑fat and low-fat dairy products, such as yogurt, cheese and milk, are good sources of calcium. Other sources of calcium include dried beans, pink salmon, spinach and broccoli. Some foods, such as orange juice, breads and dry breakfast cereals, may be fortified with calcium or vitamin D or both. Your healthcare provider may suggest a Vitamin D or calcium supplement as well.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER

• Based on my age and lifestyle, am I at risk for osteopenia?
• I’m peri- or post-menopausal. Do I need to be concerned about my bone density?
• Should I get a bone density test? How often?
• What foods should I eat to lower my risk of osteopenia?
• Do I need to take a calcium or vitamin D supplement?

Bibliography

See a list of resources used in the development of this information:

This content was developed with general underwriting support from Nature Made®.

http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/osteopenia/bibliography.html