- Age 65 or older
- Vertebral compression fracture
- Fracture with minimal trauma after age 40
- Family history of osteoporotic fracture (especially parental hip fracture)
- Long-term (more than 3 months continuously) use of glucocorticoid therapy such as prednisone
- Medical conditions (such as celiac disease, Crohn's disease) that inhibit absorption of nutrients
- Primary hyperparathyroidism
- Tendency to fall
- Spinal fracture apparent on x-ray
- Hypogonadism (low testosterone in men, loss of menstrual periods in younger women)
- Early menopause (before age 45)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Hyperthyroidism
- Low body weight (<60kg)
- If your present weight is more than 10% below your weight at age 25
- Low calcium intake
- Excess alcohol (consistently more than 2 drinks a day)
- Smoking
- Low bone mineral density (BMD)
Risk factors are additive, meaning that the more risk factors you have, the greater your risk of
developing osteoporosis.
Furthermore, assessing your risk factors can help you identify those that you can change. Some of these
factors are a result of heredity; others are lifestyle factors. By making changes in your lifestyle, you are
doing something to improve your bone health and lower your risk of developing osteoporosis.
