Health Library

Osteoporosis causes a loss of bone mass and destruction of bone tissue. The bones most often affected are the hips, spine, and wrists.

Osteoporosis thins and weakens a person's bones, making them more porous (less dense) and fragile, and thus more likely to break. Although a fracture is often the first outward sign of osteoporosis, a bone mineral density test can help diagnose it before that happens.

Many people are unaware they have osteoporosis until they have advanced symptoms, which may include a broken hip or wrist, low back pain or a hunched back.

A bone density test measures the strength and density of your bones as you approach menopause and, when the test is repeated sometime later, can help determine how quickly you are losing bone mass and density.

You can help prevent osteoporosis by including enough calcium in your diet and exercising regularly.

The right amount of calcium in your diet helps maintain your bone strength, reducing your risk for osteoporosis.

Just when you thought you had your summertime outdoors routine down -- plenty of sunscreen, a large hat, limited exposure between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. -- comes the news that Americans aren't getting enough of the "sunshine vitamin" -- vitamin D.