Osteoporosis Health Center
Table of Contents
Osteoporosis is most often caused by a drop in estrogen in women during menopause or a drop in testosterone in men. Women 50 years and older and men 70 years and older have a greater chance of developing osteoporosis.
Other possible causes of osteoporosis include the following:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Chronic kidney disease
- Eating disorders
- Corticosteroid medications (prednisone, methylprednisolone), taken every day for more than three months
- Antiseizure medications
- Confinement to a bed
- Vitamin D deficiency
The people with the greatest risk of getting this disease are white women, especially if they have a family history of osteoporosis. Women have smaller bones than men and lose bone faster because of hormone changes that happen after menopause. This makes it more likely for them to develop osteoporosis.
Other risk factors of osteoporosis include the following:
- Not consuming enough calcium
- Smoking
- Alcohol abuse
- Low body weight
- Amenorrhea (absence of menstrual periods) for long periods of time
- Family history of osteoporosis
- History of hormone treatment for prostate cancer or breast cancer