Osteoporosis & menopause: how they’re connected, risk factors, and more

As estrogen levels decline post menopause, the risk for osteoporosis increases.

Osteoporosis is a disease that causes bones to weaken over time. They become thin, brittle, and more susceptible to fractures and breaks, which often occur in the hips, wrist, or spine.

Often, osteoporosis is not diagnosed until after someone suffers a fall or breaks a bone, which makes it important to recognize the risks beforehand.

While osteoporosis can happen to anyone, it is more common in women than men and more common in older people. The National Osteoporosis Foundation says that one in two women over 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis.

Age 50 is around the time most women experience menopause. Postmenopausal women are especially prone to osteoporosis, due to a decline in estrogen. Normally, estrogen helps protect bones. As reproductive function slows down leading up to and after menopause, the body produces less estrogen, which has a direct impact on bones.

Read on to learn more about the connection between osteoporosis and menopause, risk factors, and what can be done to build bone health at any stage of life.

How does osteoporosis occur?

Osteoporosis occurs when bone mass decreases and the bones become weaker as a result.

Bones are constantly being broken down and built up. In youth, the body makes new bones fast enough to keep up with the breakdown, so that bone mass increases.

However, the process of building bones slows down as people age. People reach peak bone mass around the late 20s or early 30s, and things slow down after that. In older people, bone mass can be lost faster than it’s being made, making bones weaker and more susceptible to fractures and breaks.

While osteoporosis is not usually diagnosed until after someone suffers a fracture, there are some signs of weakened bones, such as back pain, loss of height, or a stooped posture.

The biggest sign of osteoporosis is having bones that break more easily than expected. For example, a fall can lead to complications like hip fractures or a broken bone. People who suffer a broken bone due to osteoporosis are at risk for it happening again.

Who is at risk for osteoporosis?

For post menopausal women, the risk of osteoporosis increases as the body makes less estrogen. Bone loss happens more quickly after menopause.

Those who experience menopause early — or people whose bodies make less estrogen for other reasons — may also have an increased risk for osteoporosis.

Women are more likely than men to suffer from osteoporosis as they generally have less bone mass. People with smaller body frames may also have a higher risk due to less bone mass.

Other risk factors for osteoporosis include:

• Age, as bone mass decreases in older people
• People who are white or Asian have an increased risk
• Having a family history of osteoporosis
• A diet low in calcium as calcium helps build and strengthen bones
• Long-term use of corticosteroid medication
• Medical conditions like celiac disease
• Being less active, smoking, and alcohol

How can osteoporosis be prevented or treated?

According to the National Institutes of Health, optimizing one’s lifestyle should be the “bedrock of any good treatment approach.”

This applies to osteoporosis treatment and prevention, too.

In general, having a healthy lifestyle from a young age can reduce the risk of osteoporosis when we get older. Here are some tips for reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

Eat a healthy diet rich in calcium and vitamin D

As mentioned above, calcium helps strengthen bones. Women 19 to 50 years old need 1,000 mg of calcium daily and women over 50 need even more calcium: 1,200 mg.

Sources of calcium include dairy like milk and cheese, dark green leafy vegetables like kale, or cereals and orange juice that have been fortified with calcium. Supplements may help, but always check with your doctor before starting supplements in order to assess any potential risk.

Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium, so it is also important for bone health. Being in the sun triggers your body to produce vitamin D. It can also come from your diet, through foods like eggs, fatty fish, or milk and cereal that have been fortified.

Exercise regularly, especially weight-bearing exercise

Exercise at any age is important for a healthy lifestyle. Developing a strong habit of exercise from a young age helps you be more healthy and less prone to osteoporosis in old age.

Weight-bearing exercises are especially helpful to build strong bones. These are exercises that work the muscles and bones against gravity.

Examples of weight-bearing exercises are walking, jogging, running, skipping rope, dancing, or gardening. These exercises can strengthen bones in the legs, hips, and lower spine.

Check with your doctor to assess risk

Because osteoporosis may not always be detected before bone damage occurs, it is important to check with your doctor regularly, especially as you get older.

Doctors can help assess your bone health and risk for fractures. They can then provide advice and treatment to strengthen bones if needed.

In some cases, they may provide medication. Estrogen therapy isn’t the go-to treatment for osteoporosis, but it may help women who are already taking estrogen to help with other menopause symptoms.

At Alpha, we are here to support you through any phase of life. If you’re past menopause or in perimenopause — the phase of symptoms leading up to menopause — we can help.

While we do not treat or diagnose osteoporosis directly, our providers can prescribe menopausal hormones, sleep medication, and other treatment to help with menopause symptoms. To learn more, check out our website today!

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