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Build your bones

You can stave off osteoporosis.

One myth about osteoporosis is that it's just a female problem. It's true that women get the disease more often and sometimes at a younger age, but men suffer from it, too. That's why everyone should know the risk factors of osteoporosis, how the problem is diagnosed and what to do about it.

Family history and increasing age are two major risk factors. As a youngster, your body produces bone faster than it absorbs it. As a result, bone density increases over time. But at about age 30, this process reverses, and you produce new bone at a slower rate. Bone loss can overtake new bone growth, and over years, the bone mass may thin out. This is accelerated in women after menopause. The process also is exaggerated in men as they lose testosterone during midlife.

Osteoporosis also can occur as the result of underlying medical conditions, such as thyroid disease, and with the use of many medications, including certain hormones and corticosteroids used to treat allergies and asthma.

Those who are at risk for osteoporosis should see their doctor to be tested. The condition is commonly diagnosed with an X-ray study. If you have lost significant bone mass, you can greatly reduce your odds of having complications by taking prescription medications, calcium and vitamin D supplements, and by making lifestyle changes (like quitting smoking). If you don't have the problem, prevention remains the best weapon (see sidebar).

Tedd Mitchell, M.D., is president and medical director of Dallas' Cooper Clinic.