Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by a loss of bone mass and the deterioration of the bones' microarchitecture. In men as well as in women, bone mass reaches a peak around the age of 20.
This bone density decreases with age. In menopausal women, the loss of bone mineral density intensifies rapidly. Severe loss of bone mass is known as postmenopausal osteoporosis and predisposes women to wrist and spinal compression fractures.
Senile osteoporosis is linked to age and affects as many women as men, making them vulnerable to hip fractures.