What is osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is often called ‘the silent disease’ and although it affects over three million people in the UK,¹ there’s currently no cure. But there’s a lot you can do to help protect yourself – and it’s not just drinking more milk.

Osteoporosis is a condition where the bones become weak and fragile, so they are more likely to break. Someone could trip and fall in the street and break a bone, or – if things get very bad – something as simple as a forceful sneeze can cause a fracture.² Often, breaking a bone is the first sign that you have osteoporosis, which is why it’s known as ‘the silent disease’. Bones don’t tend to hurt or ache when they start to weaken, so there are usually no obvious symptoms. The only potential signs include a sudden loss of height or curving of the spine,³ but many people often mistakenly put these down to old age.

Our bones are constantly evolving; every day bone is being broken down and rebuilt. Before the age of 30, we build bone faster than the rate at which it is broken down. But after 30 – and particularly post-menopause – that balance tips and we begin to break down more bone than we make. If you didn’t ‘bank’ enough bone in your early years, your bones could become fragile – putting them at risk of fracture – as you age.⁴ But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to boost your bone health as you get older.

Although men and women can be affected, women lose more bone density after the menopause due to falling oestrogen levels.⁵ If you experience early menopause, you’ll have lower oestrogen levels for much longer, which increases your risk. Osteoporosis can run in families, so having a parent with the condition could also increase your risk. Add in being underweight or a history of eating disorders such as anorexia, and your risk is further increased.⁶ In all these cases, talk to your GP about having a bone density test.

Breaking a bone is painful and inconvenient when you’re young, but when you’re older, it can lead to complications that limit your mobility and, in turn, increase frailty. One 2017 study revealed the risk of dying within one year was three times higher in older people who had fractured a bone than in the general population.⁷ It’s a devastating impact for a disease that, in many cases, can be prevented with some simple lifestyle changes.

Bone density hits its peak in our late 20s,⁸ so the more bone you build up before this age, the greater reserves you have to call on. However, you can still do a lot in your 40s, 50s and beyond to help support bone growth, while you can also do less of the things that cause bone to break down. 

These include: