Osteoporosis is often known as "the silent thief" because bone loss occurs without symptoms and the progressive loss and thinning of bone tissue happens over many years. Gradually over time the bones become fragile and break with little or no stress. The resulting disability can be devastating, and often leads to secondary complications due to inactivity of the sufferer.

This disease affects millions of people throughout the world. Women are four times more likely than men to develop the disease. This is because women tend to have a smaller frame size and begin losing bone density earlier due to menopause. However, it is found that after the age of 65, men and women tend to loose bone at about the same rate.

Research is advancing in the area of early detection through bone mineral density testing. Although all of the causes of osteoporosis are not known, certain risk factors have been identified that contribute to a person's likelihood of developing the disease.