Bone Density Practical Guide for Older Adults

from NCOA

What Is Bone Density? A Practical Guide for Older Adults

Bone density is an important indicator of how likely bones are to break. It’s also valuable in identifying osteopenia and osteoporosis and assessing the effectiveness of treatments that aim to prevent bone loss.

But after age 50, we start losing bone faster than we can build it. In fact, due to this accelerated process of bone loss, women can lose up to 20% of their bone density within 5 to 7 years following menopause. When bone density decreases, the honeycomb-like spaces within the bone become larger and the outer walls become thinner. These changes in the bone’s architecture cause bones to become weaker and more susceptible to fracture.

Low bone density or osteopenia is a common condition that affects about 43.3 million adults in the U.S. Osteopenia typically does not cause physical symptoms. However, when this condition goes undetected and untreated, it can progress into osteoporosis. Although it’s four times more common in women, osteoporosis can affect older men as well.

According to the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation, you should have a bone mineral density test if you are a:

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