Types of osteoporosis

Doctors divide osteoporosis into primary and secondary forms.

Primary osteoporosis

• Type 1, postmenopausal: due to oestrogen loss, usually in women aged 50 to 70. It mainly affects spongy bone, so spine and wrist fractures are common.
• Type 2, senile (age-related): in people over about 70, affecting both men and women, with hip and spine fractures.
• Idiopathic osteoporosis: rarely in younger adults or children, without a clear cause.

Secondary osteoporosis

Caused by another condition or medicine, such as long-term steroids, thyroid or parathyroid disease, diabetes, kidney or liver disease, coeliac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer treatment, or low testosterone in men.

Related terms

• Osteopenia: bone density lower than normal but not yet in the osteoporosis range. It is not a disease on its own, and many people never develop osteoporosis.
• Severe (established) osteoporosis: low density with one or more fragility fractures.
• Glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis: bone loss from steroid use.

Ayurvedic view

Ayurveda does not list separate types the way modern medicine does. Bone wasting is discussed under Asthi-kshaya and Vata disorders. This is an interpretive framework.

Why the type matters

Secondary forms need treatment of the underlying cause as well as bone care.

See a doctor if you have a fracture with little force, are on long-term steroids, or have a condition known to affect bones.

When to get help

Speak with your doctor or an orthopaedic, endocrinology or rheumatology clinic if you have had a fracture from a minor fall, lose height, or develop a stooped back. Checking bone health early, with a DEXA scan where advised, lets you start the right plan before a break happens.

Remember

The type guides the plan. Tests and a doctor's review decide it.