FYI: Osteoporosis vs. Osteopenia

[linderlizzie]

I am posting this because either diagnosis can create fear in the patient who hears it. Ask me.

"Osteoporosis and osteopenia are not the same thing, and their risk of fractures is not the same either. Here is the difference osteopenia and osteoporosis, in a nutshell:

Osteoporosis suggests a disease process; osteopenia is a description of lowered bone density.

When you have a diagnosis of osteoporosis, it means you have an actual disorder that can be seen under a microscope. The word “osteoporosis” means “porous bone,” and a close look at the bones of someone with osteoporosis shows the bones are more like Swiss cheese than the spongy appearance of healthy bone.

Osteoporosis is not a normal response to aging, but is indicative of long-term imbalances which culminate in a bone weakening disease process.

Osteopenia, on the other hand, is not a diagnosis. It’s a description. This is a key difference between osteopenia and osteoporosis. The word “osteopenia” means “low bone mass”—and all it’s really doing is stating an observation that your bone mass is lower than that of a woman in her late 20s—someone at the peak of their bone-building and strength."[/color]

This was taken from the womenshealthnetwork.com website.

[ktheodos]

Thanks for the update and clarification

[Nancy5]

Interesting and helpful.  Thank you for the information.

[ghunter]

Very helpful information, thanks