Bone health and HIV disease

February 2008     View PDF     En español

What is osteopenia?

Osteopenia is a loss of bone density, and over 18 million Americans have it. It is not the same as osteoporosis, which is explained below. Importantly, having osteopenia doesn’t mean you’ll develop osteoporosis. In fact, most people do not.

While a diagnosis of osteopenia may  be upsetting, it’s perhaps a small wakeup to do something about it. It’s a condition that can be stopped and even reversed. First, osteopenia may be due to having a natural lower bone density. Second, there are ways to improve your bone health. These are found in the section, Preventing bone loss.

Generally osteopenia has no symptoms. You likely will not notice any pain or change in your bones. The only way to know you have this condition is by getting a bone density test done. Although the bone loss in osteopenia is generally less severe, it still means the bone has weakened and may be prone to fractures.