What are the risk factors for osteoporosis?

There are a number of factors that can increase the risk of osteoporosis. These risk factors include:

	Age: The older you are, the greater the risk of osteoporosis. See: "What is osteoporosis?"
	Gender: Osteoporosis is more likely to occur in women than in men. See: "What is osteoporosis?"
	Race: Caucasians and Asians are more likely to develop osteoporosis. However, this is not to say that African Americans and Latinos are not at risk for this disease.
	Bone Structure and Body Weight: Small-boned and thin women and men are at a higher risk for osteoporosis.
	Menopause/Menstrual History: Normal or early menopause (brought about naturally or because of surgery) increases the risk of developing osteoporosis. In addition, women who stop menstruating before menopause because of conditions such as anorexia or bulimia, or because of excessive physical exercise, may also lose bone tissue and develop osteoporosis.
	Low testosterone levels: Low testosterone levels (hypogonadism) in men have been associated with decreased bone density and strength. Low testosterone is a relatively common problem in HIV-positive men.
	Lifestyle: Cigarette smoking, drinking too much alcohol, consuming an inadequate amount of calcium, or getting little or no weight-bearing exercise, increases the chances of developing osteoporosis.
	Medications/Chronic Diseases: A significant and often overlooked risk factor in the development of osteoporosis is the use of certain medications to treat chronic medical conditions. Medications to treat disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, endocrine disorders (i.e. an under-active thyroid), seizure disorders, and gastrointestinal diseases may have side effects that can damage bone and lead to osteoporosis. Medications that can increase the risk of osteoporosis include glucocorticosteroids (immune-suppressive drugs, such as prednisone and cortisone), excessive thyroid hormones, anticonvulsants, antacids containing aluminum, heparin (used to prevent blood clots), pentamidine (used to treat Pneumocystis pneumonia), ketoconazole (used to treat fungal infections), and cholestyramine (used to control cholesterol levels).

HIV infection – and the medications used to treat it – are also believed to be risk factors for osteoporosis as well. This is reviewed in much greater detail in the next section.

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