Am I at Risk for Osteoporosis?

About 1 in 5 women over age 50 have osteoporosis — a serious chronic condition that weakens the bones to the point of breaking.And 1 in 2 women over age 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis.Often people don’t know they have osteoporosis until they break a bone.Risk factors for osteoporosisBeing a woman4 of 5 people with osteoporosis are womenWomen with small body frames/low body weight are at higher riskEthnicityWhite people are at higher risk for fracture from osteoporosis, but Black women experience worse outcomes after osteoporosis fracturesA family history of osteoporosisA parent or sibling with osteoporosis A mother or father with a history of hip fractureCall out: If you’ve broken a bone after a minor fall, you may have osteoporosis. And having a broken bone after age 50 puts you at high risk for future fractures. Going through perimenopause and menopauseLow estrogen levels weaken the bonesWomen lose bone mass quickly 2 years before menopause and up to 5 years after Having a hysterectomy, with or without removal of the ovariesWomen who enter menopause early – before age 45 – are at increased risk for osteoporosis. Lifestyle factorsSmokingExcessive alcohol intake A die...