This Health Risk Profile estimates your risk of developing osteoporosis compared to the average woman. Even more important, it tells you exactly which factors contribute to your risk and what you can do to reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis. By taking the Osteoporosis Risk Profile, you'll be able to take action to reduce your chances of developing osteoporosis and its complications.

Currently, this Risk Profile is only accurate for women. Compared with men, women are four times more likely to develop the disease, and we understand their risk factors much better.

What is osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a condition that causes bones to become fragile and more likely to fracture. Untreated osteoporosis progresses painlessly until a bone breaks, often with little or no trauma. Fractures mainly occur in the hip, spine, and wrist. A hip fracture, which usually requires hospitalization and surgery, can impair one's ability to walk and may cause prolonged disability or even death. Spinal fractures can result in loss of height, back pain and deformity. And don't think osteoporosis can't affect you-one in two women over age 50 have a fracture from osteoporosis. So it certainly makes sense to reduce your risk for osteoporosis!

What causes osteoporosis? Osteoporosis occurs when calcium leaves the bones faster than it should. Calcium is the mineral that gives bones their strength. All people lose calcium from their bones as they age, but some people lose it faster than others. The amount of calcium in the bone determines its density; people with low bone density are thus more susceptible to fractures. The main risk factors for low bone density, and thus for osteoporosis, include being thin and/or having a small frame, a family history of osteoporosis, estrogen deficiency, low lifetime calcium intake, use of certain medications, an inactive lifestyle, cigarette smoking, excessive use of alcohol, and being Caucasian or Asian. Although only some of these risk factors are under your control, there are many ways to prevent further calcium loss and even increase your bone density.

A risk factor is anything that affects your chances of getting a particular disease. You can control some of them, but not all of them. Those you can't control include genetics or family history, and environmental exposures or behaviors that occurred in the past. Those you can control include your current and future behavior, including diet and exercise, and your current and future environmental exposures, such as to tobacco smoke. Remember that risk factors are not absolute: having one or more risk factors does not mean you will definitely get osteoporosis, and avoiding risk factors does not guarantee you will have normal bone density. But they substantially affect your odds.

What about screening? Screening tests, or early detection, are designed to find disease before there are any symptoms. Bone density testing is a very safe and accurate screening test for osteoporosis. There are several ways to measure bone density, not all of them equally accurate. Our Osteoporosis Risk Profile tells you when you are most likely to benefit from screening; be sure to talk with your doctor for more information.

The best defense against osteoporosis is to avoid developing it in the first place. That's why risk factors are so important. By identifying which ones are raising your risk, and taking action to change those that you can, you'll reduce your chances of developing osteoporosis.