The condition was recognized nearly 20 years ago by the World Health Organization as a potential precursor to osteoporosis, a severe thinning of the bones that can lead to increased risk of bone fracture. The idea was that women whose bones had started to thin could take action to reverse the trend before it was too late.
Osteopenia is identified by comparing a woman's bone density with that of a "young healthy adult" at peak bone density, around age 30.
The problem is, all women — and, to a lesser extent, men — begin to lose bone mass in midlife after the natural renewal process plateaus. In women, this accelerates after menopausebecause the loss of estrogen translates into less collagen for the bone matrix.
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