Osteoporosis is a disease that causes weak, thinning bones. This leaves the bones at greater risk of breaking. The bones most often affected are the hips, spine, and wrists.
Many people are unaware they have osteoporosis until they have advanced symptoms, which may include a broken hip or wrist, low back pain, or a hunched back.
A bone density test measures the strength and density of your bones as you approach menopause and, when the test is repeated sometime later, can help determine how quickly you are losing bone mass and density.