the following are factors that will increase the risk of developing osteoporosis: female gender caucasian or asian race thin and small body frame family history of osteoporosis (for example having a mother with an osteoporotic hip fracture doubles your risk of hip fracture) personal history of fracture as an adult cigarette smoking excessive alcohol consumption lack of exercise diet low in calcium poor nutrition and poor general health malabsorption (nutrients are not properly absorbed from the gastrointestinal system) from conditions such as celiac sprue low estrogen levels in women (such as occur in menopause or with early surgical removal of both ovaries) low testosterone levels in men (hypogonadism) chemotherapy that can cause early menopause due to its toxic effects on the ovaries amenorrhea (loss of the menstrual period) in young women associated with low estrogen and osteoporosis; amenorrhea can occur in women who undergo extremely vigorous exercise training and in women with very low body fat for example women with anorexia nervosa chronic inflammation due to chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or liver diseases immobility such as after a stroke or from any condition that interferes with walking hyperthyroidism a condition wherein too much thyroid hormone is produced by the thyroid gland (as in grave's disease) or is ingested as thyroid hormone medication hyperparathyroidism is a disease wherein there is excessive parathyroid hormone production by the parathyroid gland a small gland located near or within the thyroid gland. normally parathyroid hormone maintains blood calcium levels by in part removing calcium from the bone. in untreated hyperparathyroidism excessive parathyroid hormone causes too much calcium to be removed from the bone which can lead to osteoporosis. when vitamin d is lacking the body cannot absorb adequate amounts of calcium from the diet to prevent osteoporosis. vitamin d deficiency can result from lack of intestinal absorption of the vitamin such as occurs in celiac sprue and primary biliary cirrhosis. certain medications can cause osteoporosis. these include long-term use of heparin (a blood thinner) antiseizure medications such as phenytoin (dilantin) and phenobarbital and long-term use of oral corticosteroids (such as prednisone).
what are osteoporosis risk factors and causes?