Bone health after 50: what to know before a bone breaks
World Osteoporosis Day falls on Tuesday 20 October. The theme this year is "Build, Protect, Strengthen Your Bones for Life". It is a good prompt to think about something most of us never notice until it goes wrong.
Osteoporosis is quiet until it is not
Osteoporosis means bones have become less dense and more fragile. It has no obvious symptoms. Because of that it often goes undiagnosed until a bone actually breaks, which is part of why the true number of people living with it is hard to pin down.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimates around 853,600 people in Australia were living with osteoporosis or osteopenia in 2022, based on self reported survey data. The real figure is likely higher. In a single reporting year more than 100,000 Australians aged 45 and over were admitted to hospital with a minimal trauma fracture, meaning a break that followed little or no force. Hip fractures made up 28% of those admissions.
It is not only a condition that affects women
Osteoporosis is more common in women, particularly after menopause. It is not confined to them. Healthy Bones Australia reports that up to 25% of cases occur in men.
Know your risk factors
Some you cannot change. Some you can.
Fixed or medical factors include:
Increasing age
Being female
A parent or sibling diagnosed with osteoporosis, or who broke a bone in a minor fall or lost height quickly
Early menopause in women, or low testosterone in men
Coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease or other conditions that affect how well you absorb nutrients
Long term corticosteroid use, often prescribed for asthma or rheumatoid arthritis
Thyroid or parathyroid conditions, chronic liver disease or chronic kidney disease
Factors you can work on include:
Low calcium intake. Adults need 1,000 mg a day, rising to 1,300 mg for women over 50 and men over 70
Low vitamin D, which your body needs in order to absorb calcium
Smoking
Drinking heavily
Doing little physical activity, particularly weight-bearing or resistance exercise
A broken bone after 50 is worth investigating
Healthy Bones Australia puts this plainly: breaking a bone from a minor bump or fall should be investigated in anyone aged 50 or over. A wrist broken in a stumble on the footpath is easy to write off as bad luck. Sometimes it is the first real evidence of thinning bone.
How bone density is measured
Bone density is measured with a DXA scan, a specialised low dose X-ray usually taken at the lower spine and the hip. It is done at a radiology practice and needs a referral.
Medicare covers bone density testing in defined circumstances. MBS item 12320 covers an initial scan for people aged 70 or over. Repeat testing is then set by the result of that scan: item 12320 again after five years where bone density comes back normal or only mildly reduced, or item 12322 after two years where it is lower than that. People with particular medical conditions, or on treatments that speed up bone loss, may be eligible for testing more often. These eligibility rules are set by the Medicare Benefits Schedule, not by any individual practice.
What actually helps
Prevention comes down to a short list, whatever your age. Enough calcium, preferably from food. Enough vitamin D. Regular weight-bearing and resistance exercise. Not smoking. Keeping alcohol low. Reducing the chance of a fall matters too, which can be as practical as having your eyes checked or clearing trip hazards at home.
If you have already been diagnosed, bone density can be maintained and fracture risk can be lowered. Which treatment suits depends on your own history, so it is worth a proper conversation rather than a quick one.
Where to start
Healthy Bones Australia and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research run a free online self assessment called Know Your Bones at knowyourbones.org.au. It produces a report you can bring along to an appointment.
If you are over 50, have a family history of osteoporosis, or have broken a bone in a minor fall, raise it at your next visit.
Source
International Osteoporosis Foundation, World Osteoporosis Day (worldosteoporosisday.org), for the 20 October date and the 2026 campaign theme
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, "Osteoporosis and minimal trauma fractures" (aihw.gov.au), for prevalence, fracture and risk factor data
Healthy Bones Australia, "Osteoporosis Risk Factors" (healthybonesaustralia.org.au), for risk factors, calcium targets and the Know Your Bones tool
Medicare Benefits Schedule, items 12320 and 12322, for bone densitometry eligibility
