What Is Osteopenia? Prevention Tips & Natural Treatment

‘Osteo’ means “related to bones” and ‘penia’ means “to lack or have a deficiency” (1).

Thus, osteopenia (like osteoporosis) is a condition related to bone loss. This bone loss is measured by bone mineral density, which shows the strength and thickness of your bones (and more importantly: whether or not they’re at risk of future fractures) (2).

To understand the difference between osteopenia and osteoporosis, think of bone mineral density as a slope—with the top being normal (healthy bones) and the bottom being osteoporosis (unhealthy bones). Osteopenia, which affects nearly half of Americans over the age of 50, falls somewhere in between (2, 3).

Bone mineral density is measured by getting a DEXA scan—a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. It’s an inexpensive, noninvasive, 10-20 minute test that helps diagnose bone-related health conditions.

DEXA was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1988 and is one of the safer options in terms of bone density tests. It has relatively low radiation (it can be comparable to standard background radiation).

If you’re pregnant, it is strongly recommended to not get a DEXA scan. Although chances for cancer are extremely low (like 0.3 in a million), they are not zero. In most cases, a pregnancy test may be needed in order for the DEXA scan to be administered (4, 5).

A licensed radiologist will review your scans and determine your T Score—a measurement that compares your bone density measurement to that of a healthy 30-year-old (this is the age when peak bone mass occurs). The higher the T Score, the better. A low T Score signifies bone loss (4).

Upon receiving your DEXA scan results, you’ll be given a T Score. Use the following chart to understand what it means.

• Normal: Greater than or equal to -1.0
• Osteopenia: -1.0 to -2.5
• Osteoporosis: Less than or equal to -2.5
• Severe Osteoporosis: Less than or equal to -2.5 (plus fragility fracture)

The major cause of osteopenia can be boiled down to one thing: aging.

Once your bone mass peaks (at around age 30), your body breaks down old bone faster than it creates new bone. Which means you lose more and more bone density with each passing year. In addition to that, women are more susceptible to lower bone density due to menopause and the lowering of estrogen (6).

Here’s the breakdown (7):

• Ages 40-45: 0.3–0.5% per year
• Ages 45-55 (i.e. the perimenopausal period): 4–6% per year
• Age 70: 1–2% per year

Thus, age is the strongest predictor of fracture risk.

According to an article published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, there are certain risk factors to keep in mind for conditions related to bone loss (10, 7):

1. Major Modifiable Risk Factors:

• Inadequate nutritional absorption
• Lack of physical activity (resistance exercise, in particular)
• Having a very low body weight
• Smoking cigarettes
• Heavy alcohol consumption
• Air pollution
• Stress
• Low sunlight exposure

2. Major Non-Modifiable Risk Factors:

• History of falls
• Older age
• Gender
• White ethnic background
• Prior fracture
• Loss of height
• Family history of bone loss or fracture

3. Secondary Causes of Osteopenia

• Chronic use of certain medications (such as corticosteroids)
• Hypogonadism
• Hyperparathyroidism
• Chronic liver disease
• Inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid arthritis)
• Estrogen deficiency
• Lack of calcium, vitamin D, and/or collagen
• Renal disease or history of kidney stones
• Cardiovascular disease
• Diabetes mellitus
• Dementia

Surprisingly, osteopenia usually goes undetected until a fracture occurs.

However, symptoms may include:

• Severe pain in your back, hips, and joints
• Stooped posture
• Loss of height

Believe it or not, osteopenia can be reversible.

Bones are constantly turning over throughout one’s life. Osteopenia and osteoporosis simply arise when bone turnover slows. Thus, what your bones need is support.

A simple way to get that support, you ask?

Collagen Peptides

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body—making up 33% of it, in fact. However, once you hit about 25 years of age, collagen production begins to slow—declining by 1% with each passing year (8, 9).

This means that by the age of 50, your collagen levels have been slashed in half. One of the tell-tale signs of low collagen levels is joint pain, back pain, and/or weak bones.

When you take a collagen supplement daily, you’re equipping your body (and bones) with what it needs to restore that bone loss.

Native Tip: For more bone-building tips, read this article next: 12 Tips to Strengthen Your Bones (None of Them Are Dairy)

3 Additional Ways to Prevent Further Bone Loss Include:

• Doing more weight-bearing exercises like walking, dancing, or using weight machines.
• Adding calcium and vitamin D to your diet.
• Maintaining a healthy diet. Check out the top 5 bone-dissolving foods here.

Do I Need a Bone Mineral Density Test?

If you’re a female over the age of 65, a male over 70, or have had a hip fracture, a bone mineral density (BMD) test is highly recommended (4).

What's the Difference Between Osteopenia & Osteoporosis?

Osteopenia and osteoporosis are both conditions related to bone loss. However, osteopenia’s severity falls somewhere between strong, sturdy bones and severely frail bones (i.e. osteoporosis).

Osteoporosis literally means “porous bone”. And the more porous one’s bones are, the more weak and brittle those bones become, making you ultra-prone to sudden and unexpected bone fractures.

A healthy bone is porous in nature. Throughout one’s life, the body is constantly absorbing and replacing bone tissue. However, with age, the creation of new bone simply can’t keep up with the removal of old bone. This is when osteopenia—and if unmanaged, osteoporosis—comes into play.