Bone density and the "silent disease": 4 things women should know about bone health

Seven out of 10 American women will have osteopenia or osteoporosis in their lifetime, and statistics show that bone conditions predominantly affect women more than men, especially menopausal and postmenopausal women. Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein, an orthopedic surgeon at Duke University School of Medicine who specializes in the relationship between menopause and bone health, says it's important to be aware of the risk sooner than many women think. "One of the major issues is that people think about their bone health later in life," Wittstein said, "after they've sustained a fracture." Those fractures could be an indication that someone has weak bones, also known as osteopenia, which could progress to the far more serious disease of osteoporosis."It's a silent disease until it's not silent," Wittstein said.