Osteoporosis vs. Osteopenia
Osteoporosis and osteopenia might sound like two different medical conditions, but they actually represent different levels of bone density. Think of bone density is a measure of how strong and solid your bones are. This measure can vary from person to person, much like your height or weight.
If you have osteopenia, it is important to act early to stop it from worsening into osteoporosis, especially if you have already had a fragility fracture.
Imagine a scale or range that measures bone density. At one end, you have healthy bones that are strong and dense. In the middle, there’s a range where bones are weaker than normal but not yet weak enough to be considered osteoporotic—this is called osteopenia. At the other end, where bones are very weak, you have osteoporosis.
Most people who have a fragility fracture have bone density that is in the osteoporotic or osteopenic range.
People with osteoporosis need to be treated with medication to reduce their risk of future fractures. Osteopenia is a warning sign that your bones are starting to lose strength, but they haven’t reached the more severe level of osteoporosis. It is important to take action if you have osteopenia to prevent it from progressing to osteoporosis, especially if you have already had a fragility fracture from a small bump or fall from standing height.