Who is at risk of osteoporosis?

This contribution assesses who is at risk of osteoporosis, by delineating the key risk factors involved in the condition. Osteoporosis represents a major public health problem through its association with fragility fractures, primarily of the hip, spine and distal forearm. Some risk factors for fragility fracture act through bone mineral density (BMD), for example female gender, asian or Caucasian race, premature menopause, primary or secondary amenorrhoea, primary and secondary hypogonadism in men, prolongued immobilisation, low dietary calcium intake, vitamin D deficiency. However, a number of others contribute significantly to fracture risk over and above their association with BMD (age, high bone turnover, poor visual acuity, neuromuscular disorders, previous fragility fracture, glucocorticoid therapy, family history of hip fracture, low body weight, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol consumption)