In short: Osteoporosis is a condition in which bones lose strength and break more easily, often after a minor fall. Women are at higher risk because bone loss speeds up after menopause, when oestrogen falls. It usually causes no symptoms until a fracture happens, so knowing your risk factors matters. Calcium, vitamin D, weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercise, not smoking and limiting alcohol all help protect bones, and effective treatments are available if your fracture risk is high.

This guide, written by a Ready Health prescribing pharmacist, explains who is at risk of osteoporosis, how it is assessed in the UK, how to protect your bones and what treatment options a clinician may discuss.

What is osteoporosis?

Bone is living tissue that is constantly broken down and rebuilt. Bone mass peaks in early adulthood and then slowly declines. In osteoporosis, bones become less dense and their internal structure weakens, so they fracture more easily. The most common fractures are in the wrist, hip and spine. Spinal fractures can cause back pain, loss of height or a stooped posture.

According to the Royal Osteoporosis Society, around half of women over 50 will break a bone mainly because of poor bone health.

Why are women more at risk of osteoporosis?

Menopause: oestrogen helps protect bone, so bone loss speeds up in the years after menopause.
Early menopause: menopause before 45, or premature ovarian insufficiency before 40, increases risk.
Smaller bones: women generally have a lower peak bone mass than men.
Periods stopping for long spells because of low body weight, eating disorders or excessive exercise.

Other risk factors

a parent who had a hip fracture
a previous fracture after a minor fall
long-term use of oral steroids (glucocorticoids)
low body weight (BMI under about 19)
smoking and drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week
conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, overactive thyroid or diabetes
some medicines, including certain breast cancer treatments and some epilepsy medicines

How is osteoporosis diagnosed?

Clinicians first estimate your fracture risk using a tool such as FRAX or QFracture, which combines age, weight and risk factors. NICE suggests considering this assessment for all women aged 65 and over, and for younger women with risk factors.

If your risk is raised, you may be offered a DEXA scan, a quick and painless low-dose X-ray that measures bone density at the hip and spine. The result is given as a T-score:

T-score	What it means
-1.0 or above	Normal bone density
Between -1.0 and -2.5	Lower than average bone density (sometimes called osteopenia)
-2.5 or below	Osteoporosis

Treatment decisions are based on overall fracture risk, not the T-score alone. Blood tests do not diagnose osteoporosis, but they are used to look for underlying causes and check it is safe to start treatment, for example calcium, vitamin D, kidney and liver function, thyroid function and, where relevant, coeliac screening.

How can I prevent osteoporosis?

Calcium: adults need at least 700mg a day, ideally from food such as dairy products, fortified plant milks, tinned fish with bones, tofu and green leafy vegetables. A clinician may recommend more if you have osteoporosis.
Vitamin D: UK advice is to consider a 10 microgram (400 unit) supplement daily in autumn and winter, and all year round if you rarely go outside or cover your skin.
Exercise: combine weight-bearing activity such as brisk walking, dancing or stair climbing with muscle-strengthening exercises on at least two days a week. Balance exercises such as tai chi help prevent falls.
Stop smoking and keep alcohol within 14 units a week.
Healthy weight: avoid being underweight.

What treatments are available for osteoporosis?

If your fracture risk is high, a prescriber may discuss medicines that slow bone loss or help build bone. The main types are:

Bisphosphonates (tablets taken weekly or monthly, or a yearly infusion), which are usually the first choice
Denosumab, an injection every six months, which must not be stopped or delayed without a plan because bone loss can rebound quickly
Bone-building treatments such as teriparatide or romosozumab for people at very high risk, usually started by a specialist
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which helps prevent bone loss and may be an option for some women around menopause, especially with early menopause
Calcium and vitamin D supplements where diet or sunlight exposure is not enough

Every medicine has benefits and possible side effects. A prescriber will decide what is suitable based on your fracture risk, other conditions and preferences. Any new jaw pain or thigh or groin pain while on treatment should be reported to your clinician.

How can I live well with osteoporosis?

Reduce falls at home: remove trip hazards, use good lighting and wear well-fitting shoes.
Have regular eye tests and ask for a medicines review if any medicines make you dizzy.
Keep active safely; a physiotherapist can advise on exercises that suit you.
Ask about support with pain after a spinal fracture.

See a GP if you have had a fracture after a minor fall, notice loss of height or a curved upper back, or have sudden severe back pain.

Bone health advice in Wigan and Standish

Ready Health in Standish, near Wigan, offers women's health consultations, private blood tests and physiotherapy. A clinician can review your risk factors, arrange blood tests to check for underlying causes, give advice on bone health around menopause, and recommend when a fracture risk assessment or DEXA scan through your GP would be appropriate.

Frequently asked questions

What is the main cause of osteoporosis in women?

The fall in oestrogen after menopause is the main reason bone loss speeds up in women, combined with age and other risk factors.

At what age should women have a bone density scan?

There is no routine screening by age. Fracture risk is usually assessed in women aged 65 and over, or earlier if you have risk factors such as early menopause, steroid use or a previous fracture, and a DEXA scan is offered if your risk is raised.

Can osteoporosis be reversed?

Treatment can reduce bone loss, increase bone density to some degree and lower the risk of fractures. Lifestyle measures help, but medicines are often needed if risk is high.

Is walking good for osteoporosis?

Yes. Brisk walking is a weight-bearing exercise that helps maintain bone, but it works best alongside muscle-strengthening and balance exercises.

Key takeaways

Osteoporosis weakens bones and often causes no symptoms until a fracture.
Women are at higher risk after menopause, especially if menopause is early.
Fracture risk is assessed with tools such as FRAX, and a DEXA scan confirms bone density.
Calcium, vitamin D, exercise, not smoking and limiting alcohol protect bones.
Effective treatments exist; a prescriber decides which is suitable.

Sources and further reading

Last reviewed: October 2026 by Shamir Patel, Independent Prescribing Pharmacist, Ready Health. This article is general information and does not replace advice from your own clinician.

If you are concerned about your bone health, book a women's health appointment at Ready Health in Standish, or ask about physiotherapy to help you stay active safely.

Osteoporosis in Women: Risk Factors, Diagnosis, Prevention and Treatment