YOUR BONES GET OLDER TOO!

HEALTHY BONE

HEALTHY BONE

Bones give our bodies structure. They allow you to move and protect your body from trauma.

Your bones are at their densest in your 20s and 30s.

OSTEOPENIA""

OSTEOPENIA
(OR LOW BONE MASS)

As you get older the hormone levels in your body changes, causing your bones to lose strength and thickness.

The first stage, where bones are weaker than normal is called osteopenia, or low bone mass.

OSTEOPOROSIS

OSTEOPOROSIS

Over time, your bones gradually lose strength and structure, so they can break more easily.

If you have osteoporosis, your bones become so weak that they can break from a minor bump or accident.

SEVERE OSTEOPOROSIS

SEVERE OSTEOPOROSIS

As osteoporosis progresses, your bones continue to become weaker and your chance of further broken bones increases.

If you have already had a fracture, your chance of another one is increased by 86%.2

IS OSTEOPENIA A NORMAL PART OF AGEING?

Osteopenia is a sign that your bones are at risk. If you have osteopenia, you have lower bone density than normal. The risk of osteopenia gradually increases with age, especially after menopause.3 In the first 5–7 years after menopause, women lose up to 20% of their bone structure, which can double the risk of spine fractures and can result in a 2.5 times greater risk of hip fracture.2,3

But while it is typical to lose some bone structure with age, it is not normal to have osteopenia or osteoporosis.

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS I MIGHT BE AT RISK?4-8

Many factors can impact an individual’s bone strength and put you at risk of fracture.

You may be at risk if you:

WILL MY BONES BREAK IF I HAVE OSTEOPENIA?

People with osteopenia have bones that are weaker than normal, but not as weak as someone who has osteoporosis. However, over half of minimal trauma fractures, which occur from a fall from a standing height or less, happen in patients with osteopenia. And women with osteopenia who have already suffered a fragility fracture have the same fracture risk as women with osteoporosis.9

CAN IT BE REVERSED?

The right exercise and food choices can help keep your bones strong. Reduce your alcohol intake, stop smoking, exercise regularly and eat a diet with enough calcium and vitamin D. If you have low bone density, these steps can reduce your risk of developing osteoporosis.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

Read these articles to find out more about osteoporosis and how it can affect you.

References – First signs of bone loss

1 Oden A, et al. Osteoporos Int 2015;26:2243-48.

2 International Osteoporosis Foundation. Facts and statistics. osteoporosis.foundation/facts-statistics.

3 Bone Health & Osteoporosis. Healthy bones for life - Patient’s guide. 2014. bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/healthy-bones-for-life.

4 Healthy Bones Australia. Osteopenia and bone health. 2020. healthybonesaustralia.org.au.

5 International Osteoporosis Foundation. Osteoporosis.Risk.Check. 2019. riskcheck.osteoporosis.foundation.

6 WebMD. Osteoporosis and menopause. webmd.com/menopause.

7 Meeta M, et al. J Midlife Health 2020;11:96-112.

8 Bhadada SK, et al. Arch Osteoporos 2021;16:102.

9 Siris ES, et al. Arch Intern Med 2004;164:1108–12.