Andrea J. DeWeerdt, RN, BSN, MSN, FNP-C

While you may not give much thought to the health of your bones, you should. That’s because 1 in 2 women and up to 1 in 4 men over the age of 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.

Known as the “silent disease,” osteoporosis occurs when the body loses too much bone, makes too little bone, or both. This causes bones to become weak and more brittle, and many people do not know they have osteoporosis until they break a bone. Osteopenia, which may increase the risk for developing osteoporosis, refers to having low bone density when compared to others of the same age.

Studies suggest that as many as 1 in 2 women and up to 1 in 4 men age 50 and older will break a bone due to osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is a disease where your bones become weak, brittle and more likely to break. People who have it typically break bones in their hip, spine and wrist and become more at risk of bone fracture from something as minor as slipping, bumping into furniture, or even from coughing or sneezing.

Are You at Risk for Osteoporosis?

Some risk factors for osteoporosis are unavoidable and out of one’s control, such as: