Osteoporosis and Bone Densitometry Testing
... What is osteoporosis? Osteoporosis literally means "porous bone." As we age, our bones naturally lose thickness and strength. Osteoporosis leads to an increased risk of fractures (breaks). C...

Signs and symptoms
... In the early stages of bone loss, you usually have no pain or symptoms. But once bones have been weakened by osteoporosis, you may have signs and symptoms that include: Back pain Loss of height over t...

Causes
... The strength of your bones depends on their mass and density. Bone density depends in part on the amount of calcium, phosphorus and other minerals bones contain. When your bones contain less mineral, ...

Risk factors
... Risk factors for osteoporosis include: Sex. Fractures from osteoporosis are about twice as common in women as they are in men. That''s because women start out with lower bone mass and tend to live lon...

When to seek medical advice
... Early detection is important in osteoporosis. You may be able to slow the disease if you find out you have it or prevent it if you discover you''re likely to develop it. Consider your risk factors, t...

Screening and diagnosis
... Doctors can detect early signs of osteoporosis using a variety of devices to measure bone density. The best screening test for osteoporosis is dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). This procedure i...