What Is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a degenerative condition that affects the health, primarily the density, of bone - the hardest, most durable substance in the body. Slowly, over years, so slowly that neither doctor nor patient is aware of weakening bones until it's too late. It's why osteoporosis is called the silent thief of bones.

More than stealing bone itself, osteoporosis is a main contributing factor to hip fracture, which can, in turn, lead to permanent disability, loss of independence, and sometimes even death. Weakened spinal vertebrae can produce stooped posture and a "dowager's hump." Lives collapse too. The chronic pain and anxiety that accompany a frail frame make people curtail meaningful activities because of the fear that the simplest things can cause broken bones:

Statistics tell us that osteoporosis, particularly in seniors, results in 1.5 million fractures, or breaks, per year, mostly in the hip, spine and wrist. The estimated cost of treatment for these events is $17 billion and rising, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).