Osteopenia is a condition that begins as you lose bone mass and your bones get weaker. This happens when the inside of your bones become brittle from a loss of calcium. It's very common as you age. Total bone mass peaks around age 35. People who have osteopenia are at a higher risk of having osteoporosis.
Is osteopenia a serious condition?
People who have osteopenia have a lower BMD than normal, but it's not a disease. However, having osteopenia does increase your chances of developing osteoporosis. This bone disease causes fractures, stooped posture, and can lead to severe pain and loss of height. You can take action to prevent osteopenia.
What symptoms do you get with osteopenia?
Osteopenia usually has no symptoms and is frequently not detected unless a person:
- Has a bone density test.
- Experiences localized bone pain and weakness in an area of a broken bone (osteopenia pain)
