| Osteoporosis in the Aging | | | | |

Abstract
By 2020, approximately 14 million Americans older than 50 years are expected to have osteoporosis. One half of all postmenopausal women will have an osteoporosis-related fracture during their lifetime; 25% of these women will develop a vertebral deformity, and 15% will experience a hip fracture. Osteoporotic fractures, particularly hip fractures, are associated with chronic pain and disability, loss of independence, decreased quality of life, and increased mortality. Although hip fractures are less common in men than in women, more than one third of men who experience a hip fracture die within 1 year.

Osteoporosis and the Aging
According to Wikipedia, 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 (“Osteoporosis”, n.d.). Bones that commonly break include the back bones, the bones of the forearm, and the hip (Golob, AL; Laya, MB (May 2015). Until a broken bone occurs, there are typically no symptoms. Wikipedia suggests that bones may weaken to such a degree that a break may occur with minor stress or spontaneously. Chronic pain and a decreased ability to carry out normal activities may occur following a broken bone (“Osteoporosis”, n.d.)
According to Wikipedia, osteoporosis may be due to lower than normal peak bone mass and greater than normal bone loss. 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. Certain medications increase the rate of bone loss including some anti-seizure medications, chemotherapy, proton pump inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and steroids. Not