What Is Osteoporosis?

Your bones are the framework of your life. They support your body and give it structure. They protect your internal organs. They help you stand, sit, and walk. In fact, they are essential to every move you make, big or small.

Osteoporosis is a disease in which the bones become thin and can break easily. If not managed properly, osteoporosis can lead to fractures that can limit your ability to move, walk, and stay active.

Although many people may think of osteoporosis as a disease that occurs only late in life, a common form of the disease, postmenopausal osteoporosis, affects many women starting around age 50.

How Postmenopausal Osteoporosis Happens

Bone is a living tissue that is always changing. After menopause, the decrease in estrogen triggers a rise in cells that break down bone tissue. Bone loss occurs faster than bone formation. For many women, the result is decreased bone density and strength. This can lead to an increased risk for fracturing, or breaking, a bone.

Not all women get osteoporosis after menopause. But for those who have the disease, the effects of declining estrogen can be swift: Women can lose as much as 20% of their bone mass in the first 5 to 7 years after menopause.

The good news: you can keep your bones strong and help protect yourself against postmenopausal osteoporosis.