Low Bone Mass

Acronym: Osteoporosis

Defined by a bone mineral density (BMD) value at either the femur neck or lumbar spine or both that is between 1 and 2.5 standard deviations (SDs) below the mean BMD of a young female adult mean value (5,6). The current clinical guidelines recommend that assessment of osteoporosis and low bone mass be based on the degree of low BMD at either the femur neck region of the proximal femur (top of thigh bone where it meets the hip) or the lumbar spine. Citation: Sarafrazi N, Wambogo EA, Shepherd JA. Osteoporosis or low bone mass in older adults: United States, 2017–2018. NCHS Data Brief, no 405. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2021. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:103477.