Background:
A 60-year-old postmenopausal Caucasian woman, generally in good health; she has weighs 112 lbs. She uses initiated hormone therapy with estrogen/progestin for help with her menopausal symptoms. The hormone therapy is her only chronic medication. Personally she has no history of any fractures. This patient is a cigarette smoker, who rarely exercises and drinks coffee everyday. This patient also, has concerns that she is at risk for osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis is a common chronic metabolic bone disease. It occurs when the development of new bone does not keep up with the removal of the old bone because bone tissue is constantly being broken down and replaced. This disease is often undertreated and overlooked because it’s usually not known until the patient acquires a fracture. This disease is found more in elderly Caucasian women, than any other sex or race. The patient will have a low bone mass and a deterioration of bone tissue which increases the chances of bone fractures. The most common fractures related to osteoporosis occur in the hip, wrist, or spine. Patients can also have an unknown fracture without having to fall due to the weak bones.

General risk factors:
There are typically no symptoms found in early stages but pain may occur over time of weakened bones. There are …show more content…
There’s an additional 43.1 million Americans who have low bone density. Osteoporosis is the most common metabolic bone disease that affects an estimated 200 million people worldwide. In persons 50 years or older, 90% of hip fractures occur in their 8th decade of life. Half of postmenopausal women will develop a fracture related to osteoporosis in their lifetime. Men have a higher chance of developing secondary osteoporosis due to alcoholism, hypogonadism, or glucocorticoid excess. Caucasians of the northern European descent and Asians have an increased risk for developing