Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis occurs when bones lose minerals, especially calcium, more quickly than the body can replace them, resulting in:
- bones becoming fragile and brittle
- breaking more easily than normal bone
- fractures from minor bumps or falls
There is no single cause of osteoporosis; the health of your bones depends on:
- level of physical activity
- dietary calcium intake and good general nutrition
- safe exposure to sunlight
- genetics
- the level of hormones in your body (oestrogen for women and testosterone for men)
Risk factors include:
- family history – having a parent who had osteoporosis, experienced fractures, lost height or had a “Dowager’s hump” indicates low bone density in your family
- low calcium intake
- low Vitamin D levels – lack of sun exposure can mean insufficient production of Vitamin D, which your body needs to absorb calcium
- your medical history – certain conditions (low hormone levels; coeliac disease or inflammatory bowel disease; thyroid conditions; some other chronic diseases eg rheumatoid arthritis or kidney disease) and medicines ( corticosteroids used for asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions; some medicines used for epilepsy, breast cancer, prostate cancer; and some antipsychotics) can impact on your bone health
- lifestyle factors – low levels of physical activity, smoking, excessive alcohol intake, thin body build or excessive weight
Information sheets and booklets available from our office or on the Healthy Bones website – https://healthybonesaustralia.org.au, click on Resource Hub:
Information sheets:
Breaking a bone
Osteopenia and bone health
Calcium and bone health
Vitamin D and bone health
Exercise and bone health
Anorexia and bone health
Breast cancer and bone health
Coeliac disease and bone health
Diabetes and bone health
Epilepsy and bone health
Glucocorticoids and bone health
Menopause and bone health
Pregnancy and bone health
Prostate cancer and bone health
Rheumatoid arthritis and bone health
Thyroid conditions and bone health
Blokes, bones and bone health
Booklets:
Bone health explained
Exercise and bone density
Men’s bone health explained