Osteoporosis Prevention: What Older Adults Should Know

Quick Summary: Osteoporosis causes bones to lose density and strength. Known as a “silent disease,” symptoms can go undetected until a fracture. However, roughly one in two women and one in four men over 50 will break a bone because of it. This guide to osteoporosis prevention from Kirby Pines covers the risk factors within and outside your control, what causes primary and secondary osteoporosis, the differences between osteoporosis vs. osteoarthritis, and how to increase bone density after 60.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for general educational purposes and is not intended as medical advice. Talk with your physician before starting any new exercise program or making decisions about osteoporosis screening or treatment, particularly if you have had a fracture or have been diagnosed with low bone density.

You’ve probably heard that older houses are still solid if they have “good bones.” Some cosmetic features, carpeting, or fixtures may need updates, but if the foundation is solid, the structure is stable, and the layout flows well, it’s still in good shape. 

Unlike a crack in the foundation of a house, signs of wear and tear on our bones are much harder to see.

Osteoporosis, a bone disease that develops when bone mineral density and bone mass decrease, is very common for older adults. Roughly 50% of women and up to one in four men over 50 will break a bone because of it, according to the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation. 

Still, osteoporosis is known as a “silent disease” because for many people it goes undetected until a fracture occurs. 

The good news is that just like a house, preventative maintenance now can help you avoid more serious problems later on, even after age 60. 

At our Ready for Rehab senior rehabilitation center on the Kirby Pines LifeCare Community campus in Memphis, TN, we help seniors recover from surgeries and injuries with daily personalized care. Our experienced clinical team has been nationally recognized for our focus on driving improved outcomes and our commitment to helping every patient recover fully so they can return to the life they love. 

To better understand this often undetected condition, we’ve compiled this guide to osteoporosis prevention, including risk factors, the difference between osteoporosis vs. osteoarthritis, and different types of osteoporosis, including secondary osteoporosis. 

What Is Osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis is a disease that develops when bone mineral density and bone mass decrease, reducing bone strength and making bones more likely to fracture, according to the FDA Office of Women’s Health. 

Because our bones are made of living tissue, they are constantly being broken down and replaced throughout our lives. In osteoporosis, new bone is not being built as quickly as old bone is being lost. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, many people do not experience symptoms of osteoporosis during the early stages. However, as the disease weakens your bones, you may experience symptoms of a fracture, such as:

• Back pain from a broken or collapsed spinal bone. 
• Becoming physically shorter over time. 
• Developing a stooped posture. 
• Bones that break much more easily than they should. 

Risk Factors for Osteoporosis

Several different dynamics, both genetic and lifestyle-based, can increase the likelihood of developing osteoporosis. Some of these factors are within your control, while others are not. 

Genetic Risk Factors for Osteoporosis

• Sex: Women are much more likely to develop osteoporosis than men. 80% of Americans with osteoporosis are women. 
• Age: After age 50, bones start to break down faster than your body can form them, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. 
• Race: Osteoporosis affects both men and women across all racial and ethnic groups. However, some groups are more at risk than others. Research from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) notes that non-Hispanic white and Asian women are most at risk. While Hispanic and Black women are less likely to develop osteoporosis, they remain at significant risk. 
• Family history: Studies have shown that genetics account for 60-80% of the variance in individual peak bone mass and bone mineral density (BMD). 
• Body frame size: People with smaller body frames are at a higher risk because they have less bone mass overall.

Hormonal Risk Factors for Osteoporosis

The level of certain hormones in your body can increase your likelihood of osteoporosis:

• Sex hormones: During menopause, the level of estrogen in a woman’s body decreases, which diminishes the bone protection provided by estrogen. Declining testosterone in men can also contribute to bone loss, according to the Endocrine Society. 
• Thyroid hormones: Having too much thyroid hormone can cause bone loss, affecting those with overactive thyroids or people being treated for thyroid cancer. 

Dietary Risk Factors for Osteoporosis

Your diet may increase your risk for developing osteoporosis:

• Low calcium intake: According to NIAMS, people with low calcium intake throughout their lives may have lower bone density, experience earlier bone loss, and an increased fracture risk. 
• Disordered eating: Restricting food intake and being underweight weakens bones. 
• Gastrointestinal surgery: People who have had surgery to reduce the size of their stomach or remove part of their intestine, such as gastric bypass, are less able to absorb calcium. 

Primary vs. Secondary Osteoporosis

As you can see from the wide-ranging list of risk factors for osteoporosis, some forms of the disease are directly tied to aging, while others may be caused by another medical condition. That’s why doctors separate osteoporosis into two different types:

• Primary osteoporosis is defined as bone density loss caused by aging, such as accelerated bone loss associated with menopause. Primary osteoporosis is the most common form. 
• Secondary osteoporosis is a form of osteoporosis caused by a condition, disease, or medication reaction other than aging and menopause that results in low bone mass and increased risk of fractures. 

Conditions That May Cause Secondary Osteoporosis

There are a number of common medical conditions that are known to cause secondary osteoporosis:

• Endocrine disorders: Thyroid conditions, Cushing’s syndrome, and type 1 or type 2 diabetes disrupt hormone balances needed to maintain bone strength. 
• Gastrointestinal and nutritional disorders: Diseases that cause malabsorption, such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, or inflammatory bowel disease. Gastric bypass surgery can also prevent absorption of calcium and vitamin D, which are necessary for bone health. 
• Inflammatory and autoimmune diseases: Rheumatoid arthritis and lupus can increase bone turnover because of chronic inflammation and elevated immune activity. 
• Chronic kidney disease (CKD): CKD impairs kidney function, disrupting mineral and bone balance and weakening bones. 
• Hematological and malignant disorders: Certain cancers and bone marrow disorders, such as multiple myeloma, leukemia, or lymphoma, can destroy bone tissue. 

In addition to these conditions, medications such as steroid medications can trigger secondary bone loss. Certain seizure medications, aromatase inhibitors, and thyroid replacement therapies can also weaken bones over time. 

A lack of physical activity or prolonged bed rest reduces the weight-bearing stress your bones need to maintain density. Heavy consumption of alcohol and tobacco use can also severely impair bone formation. 

5 Tips for Osteoporosis Prevention

As we discussed earlier, some factors that may lead to osteoporosis are genetic and outside of your control. However, you can control several things that can help prevent osteoporosis. 

Many people have been led to believe that getting as much calcium as you can before reaching adulthood is the only way to prevent osteoporosis. Despite what you may have heard, it’s never too late for osteoporosis prevention. 

If you’re wondering how to increase bone density after 60, resistance and impact training may help. In a clinical trial of more than 100 women in their mid-60s with low bone mass, this style of training helped enhance spinal bone density by nearly 3%. These gains are modest, but after age 60, a slight gain compared with continued bone density loss is a win. 

These tips can also help: 

1. Stay active with a mix of different activities: NIAMS recommends combining weight-bearing activities with resistance training and balancing training. A mix of brisk walking, weights or exercise machines, and exercises like sit-to-stand or shifting your weight from one leg to another would make for a good regimen. Aim for 150 minutes weekly or whatever your health and physical limits allow. 
2. Get enough calcium and vitamin D: The National Institute on Aging recommends 1,200 mg of calcium daily for women 51 and older and men 71 and older. Men ages 51-70 should get 1,000 mg daily. The recommended daily allowance of vitamin D for adults 51-70 is 600 IU.
3. Limit alcohol and tobacco use: Both are known to cause bone loss and fractures. 
4. Take medication as prescribed: For people with known cases of osteoporosis, adhering to their medication regimen can help prevent fractures. 
5. Reduce fall risk: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends exercise interventions to help prevent falls for adults over 65 who may be at greater risk.  Working with an occupational therapist to reduce potential home hazards can also help reduce fall risk. Kirby Pines’ Ready for Rehab has occupational therapists on staff to help older adults navigate everyday routines. 

Osteoporosis vs. Osteoarthritis: What Are the Differences?

Although these conditions sound similar, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis affect different tissue types. 

What both conditions have in common is that neither condition is “just a part of aging.” The risk of osteoarthritis does increase with age, but many people never develop it. 

Comparing Osteoporosis vs. Osteoarthritis

	Osteoporosis	Osteoarthritis
What it affects	Affects the bone	Affects joints, including cartilage, bone, and the joint lining
Impact on the body	Causes bone density loss and weakens structural strength	Breaks down cartilage and reshapes the joint itself
Symptoms	Symptoms are usually absent until a fracture and may appear as back pain or shortness of breath	Joint pain that eases with rest, short-term stiffness lasting less than 30 minutes, swelling in joints after use, and reduced range of motion
Where it appears	Commonly appears in the hip, spine, and wrist	Commonly appears in the hands, knees, hips, neck, and lower back
How it is detected	DXA bone density scan	Physical exam, symptoms, and imaging
Main risk	Fractures due to weaker bones	Joint pain and decreased mobility
Common treatments	Medication, calcium and vitamin D, and weight-bearing and balance exercise	Exercise, weight management, pain relief, and sometimes joint replacement

The American College of Rheumatology and the Arthritis Foundation strongly recommend exercise for knee, hip, and hand osteoarthritis and note that supervised exercise, such as a program supervised by a physical therapist, can help lead to better outcomes. 

At Kirby Pines’ Ready for Rehab center, our expert team of licensed therapists is well-versed in developing personalized plans to help older adults rebuild strength and restore function. Our senior rehabilitation services were recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a high-performing provider of short-term rehabilitation, with a 5-star rating. 

How Kirby Pines Can Help

While many factors that contribute to the development of osteoporosis are outside of our control, it’s important to focus on the things we can control to practice osteoporosis prevention: getting enough calcium and vitamin D, including a mix of different activities in our exercise routine, avoiding alcohol and smoking, and staying on top of our medications. 

Kirby Pines residents enjoy a wellness-focused lifestyle that makes osteoporosis prevention part of their everyday routine. We offer a fully stocked fitness center as well as an indoor pool and spa with water aerobics for joint-friendly movement. Check out our recent post on the benefits of water aerobics for more. 

For older adults who have had a fracture, coordinated senior rehabilitation can bridge a critical gap between recovery and long-term osteoporosis management. Our Ready for Rehab Center works with you to create a personalized plan that establishes an exercise regimen, addresses balance issues that may lead to falls, and empowers you to complete your recovery when you return home. Best of all, the Ready for Rehab Center is open to non-residents as well, so anyone in the Memphis area can access our outstanding care. We accept most insurance plans, including Medicare. 

Our state-of-the-art rehabilitation center can help you on the road to recovery so you can restore function, rebuild your strength, and return to doing what you love. Visit our Ready for Rehab center on the Kirby Pines campus to explore the full range of services, therapies, and modalities our team offers. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the early signs of osteoporosis?

A: Osteoporosis is called a “silent disease” because bone loss typically causes no symptoms until a fracture occurs. When signs do appear, they often point to a spinal fracture: back pain, losing height over time, or developing a stooped posture. A bone that breaks more easily than it should is also a warning sign.

Q: What is the difference between osteoporosis vs. osteoarthritis?

A: Osteoporosis affects bone, causing it to lose density and become more likely to fracture. Osteoarthritis affects joints, breaking down cartilage and changing the joint itself. Osteoporosis usually has no symptoms until a break, while osteoarthritis causes joint pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion.

Q: What is the difference between primary and secondary osteoporosis?

A: Primary osteoporosis, the most common form of osteoporosis, is caused by bone loss as a result of aging, including the accelerated loss that follows menopause. Secondary osteoporosis is caused by another medical condition or by a medication, such as thyroid disorders, celiac disease, chronic kidney disease, or long-term steroid use. Understanding the differences is important because treatment for secondary osteoporosis focuses on addressing the underlying cause.

Q: Is it too late to prevent osteoporosis after 60?
A: No. While much of your bone mass is built early in life, how quickly you lose it and whether you ever fall remain within your influence at any age. Weight-bearing and resistance exercise, adequate calcium and vitamin D, limiting alcohol and tobacco, and fall-prevention work all continue to help well into later life.

Q: How can Kirby Pines’ Ready for Rehab Center help address osteoarthritis?

A: Exercise is a recommended treatment for osteoarthritis. Treatment guidelines indicate that supervision by a healthcare professional, such as a physical therapist, can improve outcomes. At our Ready for Rehab Center, our expert team of licensed therapists is well-versed in developing personalized plans to help older adults rebuild strength and restore function.

Q: Is Kirby Pines’ Ready for Rehab Center open to the public? 

A: Yes! Non-residents are welcome at our Ready for Rehab Center. We accept most insurance plans as well as Medicare.