According to NOF (National Osteoporosis Foundation), Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for 55 percent of the people 50 years of age and older. “In the U.S., 10 million individuals are estimated to already have the disease and almost 34 million more are estimated to have low bone mass, placing them at increased risk for osteoporosis.”

Osteoporosis is a disease of the skeleton in which bones become brittle and prone to fracture. In other words, the bones loses density. Osteoporosis is diagnosed when bone density has decreased to the point where fractures occur with mild stress.

A bone density scan, along with a patient's medical history, is a useful aid in evaluating the probability of a fracture and whether any preventative treatment is needed.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation provides a Risk Factor Questionnaire to help determine if you at risk. You can download this questionnaire  at

http://www.nof.org/osteoporosis/Risk_Factor_Questionnaire.pdf