• Gender. Your chances of developing osteoporosis are greater if you are a woman. Women have less bone tissue and lose bone faster than men because of the changes that happen with menopause.
• Age. The older you are, the greater your risk of osteoporosis. Your bones become thinner and weaker as you age.
• Body size. Small, thin-boned women are at greater risk for developing osteoporosis than larger women.
• Ethnicity. Caucasian and Asian women are at the highest risk of developing the disease. African-American and Hispanic women have a lower, but still significant, risk.
• Family history. Your risk for fractures may be due, in part, to heredity. People whose parents have a history of fractures also seem to have reduced bone mass and may be at risk for fractures themselves.
   

• Sex hormones. Abnormal absence of menstrual periods (amenorrhea), low estrogen levels (menopause), and low testosterone levels in men can bring on osteoporosis.
• Anorexia nervosa. Characterized by an irrational fear of weight gain, this eating disorder increases your risk for osteoporosis.
• Calcium and vitamin D intake. A lifetime diet low in calcium and vitamin D makes you more prone to bone loss.
• Medication use. Long-term use of glucocorticoids and some anticonvulsants can lead to loss of bone density, which can ultimately result in fractures.
• Lifestyle. An inactive lifestyle or extended bed rest tends to weaken bones.
• Cigarette smoking. Cigarettes are bad for the bones as well as the heart and lungs.
• Alcohol intake. Excessive consumption of alcohol increases the risk of bone loss and fractures.