Aging is one of the main risk factors for osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures. If you are lucky enough to live a long life, you are much more likely to develop weakened bones from osteoporosis.

In women, the loss of estrogen in menopause causes bone loss of up to two percent per year. White women over age 50 have a lifetime risk of fracture of about 75 percent.

A number of factors contribute to osteoporosis:

* advanced age
* female gender
* low body weight or a thin and slender build
* recent weight loss
* history of fractures
* family history of fractures
* tobacco use
* alcohol abuse
* lack of exercise
* extended use of certain medications (e.g., corticosteroids, anticonvulsants, and thyroid medicine)
* Asian or Caucasian race

These risk factors are just as important as a measurement of low bone mass in determining how likely you are to have a fracture. People with low bone mass but no additional risk factors often don't develop fractures. People with small amounts of bone loss but many risk factors are more likely to eventually develop fractures.