What is Osteopenia

Osteopenia is a loss of thickness (density) inside of the bones. Another name for osteopenia is low bone mass.

Mild osteopenia is a normal part of aging. It is not a disease, and it does not cause symptoms. However, if you have osteopenia and continue to lose bone mass, you could develop a condition that causes the bones to become thin and break more easily (osteoporosis).

You may also lose some height, have back pain, and have a stooped posture. Although osteopenia is not a disease, making changes to your lifestyle and diet can help to prevent osteopenia from developing into osteoporosis.

What are the causes?

Osteopenia is caused by loss of calcium in the bones.

Bones are constantly changing. Old bone cells are continually being replaced with new bone cells. This process builds new bone. The mineral calcium is needed to build new bone and maintain bone density. Bone density is usually highest around age 35. After that, most people’s bodies cannot replace all the bone they have lost with new bone.

What increases the risk?

You are more likely to develop this condition if:

• You are older than age 50.
• You are a woman who went through menopause early.
• You have a long illness that keeps you in bed.
• You do not get enough exercise.
• You lack certain nutrients (malnutrition).
• You have an overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism).
• You smoke.
• You drink a lot of alcohol.
• You are taking medicines that weaken the bones, such as steroids.

What are the signs or symptoms?

This condition does not cause any symptoms. You may have a slightly higher risk for bone breaks (fractures), so getting fractures more easily than normal may be an indication of osteopenia.

How is this diagnosed?

Your health care provider can diagnose this condition with a special type of X-ray exam that measures bone density (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, DEXA). This test can measure bone density in your hips, spine, and wrists.

Osteopenia has no symptoms, so this condition is usually diagnosed after a routine bone density screening test is done for osteoporosis. This routine screening is usually done for:

• Women who are age 65 or older.
• Men who are age 70 or older.

If you have risk factors for osteopenia, you may have the screening test at an earlier age.

How is this treated?

Making dietary and lifestyle changes can lower your risk for osteoporosis. If you have severe osteopenia that is close to becoming osteoporosis, your health care provider may prescribe medicines and dietary supplements such as calcium and vitamin D. These supplements help to rebuild bone density.

Follow these instructions at home:

• Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your health care provider. These include vitamins and supplements.
• Eat a diet that is high in calcium and vitamin D.
  • Calcium is found in dairy products, beans, salmon, and leafy green vegetables like spinach and broccoli.
  • Look for foods that have vitamin D and calcium added to them (fortified foods), such as orange juice, cereal, and bread.
• Do 30 or more minutes of a weight-bearing exercise every day, such as walking, jogging, or playing a sport. These types of exercises strengthen the bones.
• Take precautions at home to lower your risk of falling, such as:
  • Keeping rooms well-lit and free of clutter, such as cords.
  • Installing safety rails on stairs.
  • Using rubber mats in the bathroom or other areas that are often wet or slippery.
• Do not use any products that contain nicotine or tobacco, such as cigarettes and e-cigarettes. If you need help quitting, ask your health care provider.
• Avoid alcohol or limit alcohol intake to no more than 1 drink a day for nonpregnant women and 2 drinks a day for men. One drink equals 12 oz of beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1½ oz of hard liquor.
• Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important.

Contact a health care provider if:

• You have not had a bone density screening for osteoporosis and you are:
  • A woman, age 65 or older.
  • A man, age 70 or older.
• You are a postmenopausal woman who has not had a bone density screening for osteoporosis.
• You are older than age 50 and you want to know if you should have bone density screening for osteoporosis.

Summary

• Osteopenia is a loss of thickness (density) inside of the bones. Another name for osteopenia is low bone mass.
• Osteopenia is not a disease, but it may increase your risk for a condition that causes the bones to become thin and break more easily (osteoporosis).
• You may be at risk for osteopenia if you are older than age 50 or if you are a woman who went through early menopause.
• Osteopenia does not cause any symptoms, but it can be diagnosed with a bone density screening test.
• Dietary and lifestyle changes are the first treatment for osteopenia. These may lower your risk for osteoporosis.