Bone Density Screening -- 314.996.3471 Osteoporosis is characterized by weak, brittle and porous bones. It's the leading cause of hip fractures, a disabling problem that affects many seniors. The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) reports 10 million Americans already have osteoporosis and 18 million more have low bone mass, which places them at an increased risk for developing osteoporosis. Eighty percent of those affected by osteoporosis -- 8 million Americans -- are women. One in two women and one in eight men over 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime. Our spines are another part of the body that is seriously at risk. Osteoporosis causes 700,000 fractures of the vertebrae each year. For many people, osteoporosis is preventable, treatable and in some cases, can even be reversed. Proper diet, calcium supplements, exercise and avoiding substances that interfere with the body's ability to absorb calcium, such as caffeine and nicotine, can help build up the skeleton's store of calcium in younger years and can slow the loss of calcium after menopause.