Secondary Causes of Osteoporosis

• Osteoporosis is a disease that most people do not begin worrying about until after their thirties, since the rate at which bones lose their mass does not speed up until one reaches middle age. According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF), osteoporosis occurs when one loses too much bone, makes too little bone, or both. The leading cause of osteoporosis is a lack of specific hormones that protect the bones, primarily estrogen in women and androgen in men. However, there are many factors other than hormones that can lead to the condition of osteoporosis.
  
  

Age

• One of the main causes of osteoporosis is age. Everyone loses bone density as they age and usually after the age of 20, since a person's peak bone mass is reached in the early twenties. Although not every older person acquires this disease, the older a person gets increases the chances of having brittle bones.
  
  

Gender

• Since women have lighter, thinner bones, their chances of getting osteoporosis are increased. Women are also at a higher risk after menopause because the female sex hormone, estrogen, protects the bones. However, men are not immune to this disease. According to NOF, a "man older than 50 is more likely to break a bone due to osteoporosis than he is to get prostate cancer." Low levels of testosterone can cause osteoporosis as well because testosterone is also a bone protectant.
  
  

Race

• One's ethnicity can also be a determiner of osteoporosis. Even though osteoporosis can affect all nationalities, those who are Caucasian, Asian, or Latino are much more likely to develop the condition than those of African descent.
  
  

Nutrition

• An imbalanced diet contributes greatly to the likeliness of getting osteoporosis. Diets rich in calcium, vitamin D, phosphorous, magnesium, and vitamin K will help fight off this disease and keep bones strong. However, a diet with too much protein, caffeine, soft drinks, and sodium can keep the body from getting the nutrients it needs to produce strong bones.
  
  

Lifestyle

• Negative lifestyle choices such as being inactive, smoking, and drinking can cause one's chances of getting osteoporosis to increase. It is important to get regular exercise to keep the bones strong and healthy. Smoking also has a negative effect on bone health as the chemicals in cigarettes make it harder for the bones to absorb calcium and even keep estrogen from protecting the bones. Alcohol, like smoking, can reduce the body's ability to get calcium, especially if alcoholic beverages replace food and drink that are rich in calcium and other bone-building nutrients.
  
  

Medications

• Certain medications can contribute to unhealthy bones, especially those taken over long periods of time. Steroid medications that treat rheumatoid arthritis or asthma can be harmful to the bones. When taking these medications in high doses, it is important to speak with your doctor about the risks.