Osteoporosis is a disease where decreased bone strength increases the risk of a broken bone.
If you have bone loss but not enough to be osteoporosis, you may have a condition called osteopenia. As with osteoporosis, there are no physical symptoms. Osteopenia can progress to osteoporosis, but with changes in diet and exercise, you can slow the bone loss.  A bone mineral density (BMD) test is can provide a snapshot of your bone health. The test can identify osteoporosis, determine your risk for fractures (broken bones), and measure your response to osteoporosis treatment. A BMD test measures your bone mineral density and compares it to that of an established norm or standard to give you a score. Although no bone density test is 100-percent accurate, the BMD test is an important predictor of whether a person will have a fracture in the future. Having osteoporosis does not automatically mean that your bones will break, it just means it is more likely and that you have a ‘greater risk of fracture’. Thin, fragile bones in themselves are not painful but the broken bones that can result can cause pain and other problems. Osteoporosis occurs when the struts which make up the mesh-like structure within bones become thin, causing bones to become fragile and break easily, often following a minor bump or fall. These broken bones are often referred to as fragility fractures. Osteoporosis is a common disease that weakens bones. As bones weaken, your risk of sudden and unexpected fractures increases. Osteopenia is the forerunner of osteoporosis. It is a silent but destructive condition that robs bones during a woman's -- even a young woman's -- most productive time. No matter what your age or sex, osteoporosis and osteopenia can affect you Osteoporosis is a disease where decreased bone strength increases the risk of a broken bone. It is the most common reason for a broken bone among people who are old. Bones that commonly break include the back bones, the bones of the forearm, and the hip. Until a broken bone occurs there are typically no symptoms. Bone loss increases after menopause due to lower levels of estrogen. Osteoporosis may also occur due to a number of diseases or treatments including alcoholism, anorexia, hyperthyroidism, surgical removal of the ovaries, and kidney disease. Osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture. In osteoporosis, the bone mineral density is reduced, bone microarchitecture deteriorates, and the amount and variety of proteins in bone are altered. Osteoporosis (n.). An absorption of bone so that the bone tissue becomes unusually porous. It occurs especially in elderly men and postmenopausal women, and predisposes the elderly to fractures of the bones. The word osteoporosis literally means porous bones.. It occurs when bones lose an excessive amount of their protein and mineral content, particularly calcium. Over time, bone mass, and therefore bone strength, is decreased. Osteoporosis is often called the silent disease, because bone loss occurs without symptoms. People often do not know they have the disease until a bone breaks, frequently in a minor fall that would not normally cause a fracture. The components of the word 'osteoporosis' literally mean 'porous bones' - 'osteo' is for bones, and 'porosis' means porous-helpfully describing this condition that results in reduced bone density and increased fragility of the bones. 1. 
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osteoporosis what does it mean