Osteoporosis is a progressive disease that weakens your bones, leaving them thin and brittle. This can leave you at greater risk for severe back pain, height loss and broken bones – especially fracture of the spine, wrist and hip. Everyone's bones lose calcium and weaken with age, but not everyone will develop osteoporosis.

Who has osteoporosis?

Millions of men and women do, but there are a number of factors that increase your risk of osteoporosis. Some of them include:

Your gender: Women are almost 4 times more prone to develop osteoporosis. And women who have gone through menopause are especially at risk.

Your family: A family history of osteoporosis increases your risk – as does being of European or Asian ancestry.

Your lifestyle: Smoking, heavy alcohol use and getting little or no exercise can increase your risk.

Your diet: A diet low in calcium and Vitamin D, excessive dieting and some eating disorders (like anorexia nervosa) can increase your risk.

Your age: as we age our risk of developing osteoporosis increases.

How can you find out if you have osteoporosis?

The best course of action is to be proactive about your health. Talking to your doctor about your bone health is also an important step. A doctor will look at your medical history and your current health, and may perform a number of tests. Your doctor may also help you to evaluate your current bone health risks. One of the most common tests is called a bone mineral density (BMD) test. This test uses X-rays to measure the density of your bones – usually the spine, hip or wrist. Your bone density is then compared to that of an average healthy young woman to determine your T-score. Your doctor will use your T-score to determine if you have osteoporosis. You can find out how to read a T-score here.

What can I do to treat or help prevent osteoporosis?

To help prevent osteoporosis, the first thing you can do is to start early by making sure that you are getting adequate levels of calcium and Vitamin D. Then, find an exercise routine that you can stick with, start eating a healthy diet full of calcium-rich foods. If your diet does not provide enough calcium take Os-Cal 500 + D.

There are also a number of prescription medications that can help slow the weakening of your bones by reducing the rate at which your body removes calcium from your bones. But even if you are taking prescription osteoporosis medication, you still need the calcium and Vitamin D to help keep your bones strong. In fact, getting enough calcium and Vitamin D is an important part to ensure that these medications are effective. Taking Os-Cal is a great way to make sure you are getting your calcium and Vitamin D requirements.

Unlike the normal, strong bone on the left, the bone on the right is brittle and porous – osteoporosis literally means "porous bone" – because the body has had to take calcium from the bone to maintain an adequate level in the bloodstream.