Causes

Advancing age and female sex are significant risk factors for osteoporosis. The prevalence of osteoporosis increases from 2% at 50 years to more than 25% at 80 years in women.

There are many other risk factors and secondary causes of osteoporosis. We'll start by looking at the most 'important' ones - these are risk factors that are used by major risk assessment tools such as FRAX:

• history of glucocorticoid use
• rheumatoid arthritis
• alcohol excess
• history of parental hip fracture
• low body mass index
• current smoking

Other risk factors

• sedentary lifestyle
• premature menopause
• Caucasians and Asians
• endocrine disorders: hyperthyroidism, hypogonadism (e.g. Turner's, testosterone deficiency), growth hormone deficiency, hyperparathyroidism, diabetes mellitus
• multiple myeloma, lymphoma
• gastrointestinal disorders: inflammatory bowel disease, malabsorption (e.g. coeliac's), gastrectomy, liver disease
• chronic kidney disease
• osteogenesis imperfecta, homocystinuria

Medications that may worsen osteoporosis (other than glucocorticoids):