Health and Nutrition Article: What is Osteopenia?
What is Osteopenia? Osteopenia is considered the first step along the road to osteoporosis, a serious condition in which bone density is extremely low. Osteopenia, if not treated, may result in osteoporosis. Osteopenia encompasses a wide range of fracture risks including age, bone mineral density, and clinical risk factors. Osteopenia, the milder bone-loss disease, is less well known but affects an estimated eighteen million young and middle-aged women, including those in their late teens and early twenties. Some people who have Osteopenia may not have bone loss, but they may naturally have a lower bone density. It is diagnosed with a bone mineral density (BMD) test, usually done to see whether a person has osteoporosis. A standard X-ray is not useful in diagnosing Osteopenia because it is not sensitive enough to detect small amounts of bone loss or minor changes in bone density. Bones do not reach their greatest density until about 30 years of age. For children and people younger than
