Osteoporosis is a bone disease that affects more than 53 million people in the United States. It can affect both men and women at any age; however, it is more common in men and women over the age of 50. Osteoporosis is most often seen in postmenopausal women, as a result of the sudden decrease in the hormone estrogen. Osteoporosis affects the structure and strength of bones and increases a person’s risk for fractures of the hips, spine and wrists.

Healthy bone could be compared to honeycomb. When osteoporosis is present, the spaces and holes in the honeycomb become much larger, making the bone more porous than healthy bones. Sometimes referred to as the silent disease, osteoporosis develops slowly, and most often, it presents no outward signs, indications or symptoms.