Osteopenia is a condition where bone mineral density is lower than normal. It is considered by many doctors to be a precursor to osteoporosis. However, not every person diagnosed with osteopenia will develop osteoporosis. More specifically, osteopenia is defined as a bone mineral density T-score between -1.0 and -2.5.
Osteopenia was defined in June 1992 by the World Health
Organization. A group of experts decided that condition would mean a
bone density that was one standard deviation below that of an average
30-year-old white woman. The group also defined osteoporosis as bone
density 2.5 standard deviations or more below that 30-year-old; An
osteoporosis epidemiologist at the Mayo Clinic who participated in
setting the criteria in 1992 said "It was just meant to indicate the
emergence of a problem," and noted that "It didn't have any particular
diagnostic or therapeutic significance. It was just meant to show a
huge group who looked like they might be at risk."
The definition has been controversial. Steven R. Cummings,
of the University of California, said in 2003 that "There is no basis,
no biological, social, economic or treatment basis, no basis
whatsoever" for using one standard deviation. Cummings added that "As a
consequence, though, more than half of the population is told
arbitrarily that they have a condition they need to worry about."
Further Reading
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"Osteopenia"
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