Osteopenia Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Diagnosis, Medications (original) (raw)

What is osteopenia?

Decreased bone density characterizes osteopenia.

Decreased bone density is a characteristic of osteopenia.

Osteopenia is a bone condition characterized by a decreased density of bone, which leads to bone weakening and an increased risk of breaking a bone (fracture).

Osteomalacia, osteomyelitis, and osteoarthritis are different conditions frequently confused with osteopenia because they sound similar.

What causes osteopenia?

Osteopenia has multiple causes. Common causes and risk factors include:

QUESTION What is another medical term for osteoporosis? See Answer

Which causes more bone fractures, osteopenia or osteoporosis?

Osteoporosis

People with osteopenia are not as likely to fracture a bone as those with osteoporosis; however, because there are many more people with osteopenia than osteoporosis. The image on the left shows decreased bone density in osteoporosis. The image on the right shows normal bone density.

Osteopenia is important because it can cause bone fractures. People with osteopenia are not as likely to fracture a bone as those with osteoporosis; however, because there are many more people with osteopenia than osteoporosis, patients with osteopenia account for a large number of patients who fracture a bone. In other words, while osteoporosis indicates bone that is more prone to fracture and people with osteoporosis have a higher percentage risk of fracture than osteopenia, because of the much larger number of people with osteopenia there is a greater total number of fractures in these people.

Bone fractures due to osteopenia and osteoporosis are important because they can be very painful, although some spinal (vertebral) fractures are painless.

In addition to the pain, hip fractures are a serious problem because they require surgical repair. Also, many patients require long-term nursing-home care after a hip fracture. Fractures, especially in the elderly, are associated with an increase in overall mortality (death rate). A significant percentage of people die in the year following hip fracture, due to complications including blood clots related to immobility, pneumonia, and many other reasons.

Health News

Are osteopenia and osteoporosis the same condition?

Osteopenia and osteoporosis are related conditions. The difference between osteopenia and osteoporosis is that in osteopenia the bone loss is not as severe as in osteoporosis. That means someone with osteopenia is more likely to fracture a bone than someone with a normal bone density but is less likely to fracture a bone than someone with osteoporosis.

Are osteopenia and osteomalacia the same condition?

Osteomalacia is caused by severe vitamin D deficiency (which can be nutritional or caused by a hereditary syndrome) and by conditions that cause deficient blood phosphate levels (such as genetic and cancer-related syndromes). People with osteomalacia and those with osteopenia may have no symptoms.

Both osteomalacia and osteopenia increase the risk of breaking a bone. However, symptoms of osteomalacia include bone pain and muscle weakness, tenderness, difficulty walking, and muscle spasms. These symptoms are not caused by osteopenia.

What are the symptoms of osteopenia?

Osteopenia does not cause pain unless a bone is broken (fractured). Interestingly, fractures in patients with osteopenia do not always cause pain.

For these reasons, osteopenia or osteoporosis can be present for many years before diagnosis. Many bone fractures due to osteopenia or osteoporosis, such as a hip fracture or vertebral fracture (fracture of a bone in the spine), are very painful. However, some fractures, especially vertebral fractures (fractures of the bony building blocks of the spine), can be painless; therefore, osteopenia or osteoporosis may go undiagnosed for years.

In addition to back pain, recurrent spinal (vertebral) fractures can cause stooped posture (dowager's hump) and loss of height.

Who should be tested for osteopenia?

Not everyone needs to be tested for a decreased bone mineral density (osteopenia or osteoporosis). Your doctor can determine if you should be tested.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends the following groups of people be tested for osteopenia or osteoporosis:

When should you see a doctor for osteopenia?

Osteopenia can be diagnosed and treated by many different medical specialists, including primary care providers (such as internists and family practitioners), rheumatologists, endocrinologists, and gynecologists. Other specialists may treat osteopenia, as well, especially if they are prescribing a medication that predisposes to osteopenia, such as the cortisone medication prednisone.

Anyone who has been diagnosed with osteopenia should implement lifestyle changes and discuss with their physician whether they should take calcium and vitamin D supplements and possibly receive prescription medication for their condition.

Subscribe to MedicineNet's Women's Health Newsletter

By clicking "Submit," I agree to the MedicineNet Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. I also agree to receive emails from MedicineNet and I understand that I may opt out of MedicineNet subscriptions at any time.

Diagnosis of osteopenia

Osteopenia is diagnosed using measures of bone mineral density (BMD). The test recommended by the National Osteoporosis Foundation to measure BMD is the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan or DXA scan (formerly known as DEXA scan). A DXA scan measures BMD in the hip (femoral neck), spine, and sometimes the wrist. These locations are chosen because these are frequent sites of bone fracture. The DXA is a very accurate predictor of future fracture risk.

The DXA scan gives two results: a "T score" and a "Z score." The Z score compares the patient's BMD to the average of a person of the same age and sex. The T score compares the BMD to a healthy 30-year-old of the same sex. These scores are measured in standard deviations above or below normal. For example, if a T score is -1.0, this indicates a BMD that is 1.0 standard deviations below a healthy 30-year-old of the same sex. In other words, the lower the bone mineral density, the lower the T score or Z score and the higher the fracture risk. The risk for fracture doubles with every standard deviation below normal. So, someone with a T score of -2.0 has an approximately twofold increased risk of fracture as compared to someone with a T score of -1.0.

T scores are used to diagnose osteopenia and osteoporosis; those between -1.0 and -2.5 indicate osteopenia, and T scores lower than -2.5 indicate osteoporosis. But it is important to realize that T scores are not the only indication of osteoporosis; if someone has a bone fracture without trauma (or after falling from a standing height), then they have osteoporosis by definition, regardless of the T score. These patients should be treated as though they have osteoporosis, even if their T score is normal or in the osteopenic range.

Other tests used to measure bone density include peripheral dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (pDXA), quantitative computed tomography (QCT), peripheral QCT (pQCT), and quantitative ultrasound densitometry (QUS). Any of these methods can obtain bone density test results. Sometimes a routine X-ray reveals diffuse osteopenia (osteopenia in all bones visualized by the X-ray) or osteopenia of a particular location, such as spinal osteopenia. Periarticular osteopenia is an indication of past inflammation around a particular joint. This can be seen in conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and does not necessarily indicate a decreased BMD throughout the bony skeleton. While routine X-rays may suggest decreased bone mineral density, the DXA scan is much more precise in diagnosing osteopenia and osteoporosis.

What are the treatments for osteopenia?

People with osteopenia should make certain important lifestyle modifications and ensure that their dietary intake of calcium and vitamin D (vitamin D2, vitamin D3, and cholecalciferol) are adequate. Management of an underlying condition causing malabsorption, such as celiac sprue, can improve bone density. Not everyone with osteopenia requires treatment with prescription bone-building medication. This is because while 34 million people have osteopenia, and therefore the condition accounts for a large number of bone fractures, the absolute risk for fracture in any individual is low. So, if bone-building medications were prescribed to everyone with osteopenia it would result in a large number of people who may never even have had a bone fracture taking medication for many years, exposing them to unnecessary expense and potential side effects.

If you have osteopenia, your doctor can determine if you need treatment with prescription medication. The decision to treat is made on a case-by-case basis depending on each individual. Factors other than bone mineral density can increase the risk of fracture, and these risk factors can be used to determine if a certain individual requires treatment for osteopenia. These include a parent who fractured their hip, previous or current treatment with corticosteroids (such as prednisone), thin and small-framed individuals, rheumatoid arthritis, smoking, and drinking more than two alcoholic beverages daily. Your doctor may use this information to calculate your risk of a bone fracture in the next 10 years. This risk can then be used to determine if treatment is necessary.

The diagnosis of osteopenia can be an eye-opening wake-up call to make certain lifestyle changes. Lifestyle modifications are an important part of the prevention and treatment of osteopenia and osteoporosis. These lifestyle changes include weight-bearing exercise (for example, walking or lifting light weights), quitting smoking, not drinking excessively, and ensuring an adequate daily intake of calcium and vitamin D. If dietary intake is not adequate, then supplements may be prescribed. The Institute of Medicine released the following guidelines on calcium and vitamin D intake on Nov. 30, 2010:

Vitamin D

Calcium

The following prescription medications are treatment options for osteopenia and osteoporosis:

Alendronate (Fosamax), risedronate (Actonel), zoledronic acid (Reclast), and raloxifene (Evista) have an indication from the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for the prevention of osteoporosis (such as for those with osteopenia), as well as for the treatment of osteoporosis. For raloxifene (Evista) and risedronate (Actonel), the doses used for osteopenia are the same as those used for osteoporosis. Zoledronic acid (Reclast) is an intravenous medication given yearly for the treatment of osteoporosis but every other year for the prevention of osteoporosis. Alendronate (Fosamax) is given as 10 mg daily or 70 mg weekly for osteoporosis, and the dose is halved for the prevention of osteoporosis (5 mg daily or 35 mg weekly).

Side effects of alendronate (Fosamax) and other bisphosphonates (risedronate, zoledronic acid, and ibandronate) prescribed for osteoporosis and osteopenia are a subject of intense medical research and media scrutiny recently. The risks under scrutiny include unusual hip fractures and a jawbone problem known as avascular necrosis of the jaw. These side effects are rare. Generally, these medications are used only when the benefits of preventing bone fractures far outweigh the risks.

Is there a diet plan for osteopenia?

A diet containing sufficient calcium and vitamin D, as detailed above, is key for people with osteopenia. Low-fat dairy products such as low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese, vegetables such as broccoli and collard greens, and salmon and sardines are some good sources of dietary calcium.

In addition, studies have shown that higher fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with improved bone density.

Minimizing drinking alcohol and not smoking are essential for people with osteopenia. Drinking more than two alcoholic beverages daily is associated with decreased bone density. Smoking reduces bone density. Stopping smoking, of course, improves health in many different ways.

Follow-up after osteopenia treatment

Often osteopenia does not require treatment with prescription medications. In this situation, the bone density test may be repeated to monitor the bone mineral density (BMD), usually after two years, to detect progressive bone loss and determine if treatment is necessary. Two years may seem like a long time between tests, but BMD changes very slowly, and this length of time is usually necessary to detect significant changes in bone density.

A follow-up test for BMD is frequently repeated after treatment with prescription medication for osteopenia is begun. Again, because changes in BMD occur slowly, repeat testing is usually done several years after treatment is begun. However, follow-up testing while on treatment is controversial because:

Is osteopenia reversible?

Infrequently, osteopenia can normalize on follow-up testing. This is more common in certain situations, such as when only mild osteopenia is on the initial bone density test. When mild osteopenia is caused by significant vitamin D deficiency, and the vitamin D deficiency is treated, then the osteopenia may reverse. Another example is when osteopenia is caused by malabsorption from celiac sprue, and the celiac sprue is treated, then osteopenia often improves.

These specific examples apply to a minority of people with osteopenia. Usually, osteopenia does not reverse, but with the proper treatment, the bone density can stabilize and the risk for a bone fracture improves.

What is the prognosis for osteopenia?

Frequently, bone loss can be slowed or stabilized with lifestyle changes or medication if necessary. In some situations, bone loss may continue due to hormonal factors, medical conditions, or medications. Examples of these situations may be untreated celiac sprue, untreated or resistant rheumatoid arthritis, and treatment with steroid medication such as prednisone used for another medical condition.

Can you prevent osteopenia?

The best way to prevent osteopenia is by living healthfully. Regarding osteopenia, prevention includes ensuring adequate calcium intake either through diet or supplements, ensuring adequate vitamin D intake, not drinking too much alcohol (no more than two drinks daily), not smoking, and getting plenty of exercises. Weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, lifting light weights, or doing push-ups, is the most effective exercise for preventing and treating bone loss. This is because this type of exercise signals the bones to become stronger.

For most people, prescription medications are not necessary to prevent osteopenia. However, some people taking certain medications (such as prednisone or other steroids) for more than a few months may need to take prescription medication to prevent bone loss.

Medically Reviewed on 7/13/2023

References

Katz, Seymour. "Prevention, Detection, and Treatment of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis." Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y) 9.3 Mar. 2013: 176-178.