What Causes Osteoporosis?

According to the U.S. News & World Reporttestosterone also encourages bone loss.
Health Center, ?Osteoporosis is a disease in whichThere is no cure for osteoporosis, so disease
bones become fragile and more likely to break.prevention is vital to maintaining bone density. There
Literally meaning ?porous bone,? it results in anare three key areas to consider when it comes to
increased loss of bone mass and strength.?preventing osteoporosis: diet, lifestyle choices and
Osteoporosis debilitates millions of people every year,medications.
but there is good news ? prevention is possible!To maintain strong healthy bones a diet sufficient in
The skeletal structure of the body provides supportcalcium and vitamin D are important from
for our muscles and protection for our vital organs;preadolescence and throughout adulthood. Calcium
our bones are also a storehouse of calcium and otherneeds become greater in older adults whose bodies
minerals. More than 99 percent of the body?s calciumcan no longer rebuild bone mass. Recent studies
is stored in our bones and teeth, the other 1 percentsuggest that bone fractures can be reduced by
travels throughout our body in our blood. Calcium is30-50% in individuals with low dietary calcium simply
vital for heart and muscle function.with the addition of a calcium and vitamin D
Our skeletons are made up of a smooth, tough outersupplement.
layer of dense bone, a spongier mid section and aA few easy lifestyle changes can also influence our
soft core of marrow where new cells are made torisk of getting osteoporosis. Smoking, low body
rebuild our bones. Our bones are constantly changingweight and a lack of exercise are all contributing
because our bodies depend on a steady supply offactors to raising our susceptibility to the disease.
calcium to function properly. When we don?t getWeight-bearing exercises like walking, stair climbing,
enough calcium from our regular diet our bodiesdancing and weight training help to increase bone
break down and rebuild bone to meet our needs. Thisdensity, keep muscles flexible and ensure better
is called ?bone remodeling.?physical balance in people of all ages. Exercise also
Many things can influence bone remodeling, like injury,helps to regulate body weight to a healthy level.
illness, medications, exercise, diet, hormonal changes,There is a direct link between tobacco use and lower
smoking, heavy drinking and of course the normalbone density so smoking cessation is also
aging process. When the body requires more calciumrecommended.
than we are able to consume, or if we aren?t able toThe use of medications can and does play an
store the calcium we consume adequately it isimportant role in the prevention of osteoporosis.
leached from the spongy mid layer of our bones.Calcium and vitamin D supplements as mentioned
They gradually lose their density making them weakpreviously are often paired with bisphosphonates like
and porous, and more prone to fractures. This isAlendronate and Risedronate, selective estrogen
osteoporosis.receptor modulators (SERMs) like Raloxifene, and
Most of our bone mass is established before the agehormonal replacements like Estrogen and
of 30, and after about age 35, as a part of theTestosterone. All medications have some side effects
normal aging process, our bodies begin to breakdownand these are best discussed with your doctor.
our bone faster than we are able to rebuild it. TheThough there is no known cure for osteoporosis
natural decline in hormonal production is anotherthere is hope and help in preventing this common and
contributing factor. When women reach menopauseoften debilitating disease of the elderly. By starting
and their ovaries stop producing estrogen and bonenow and working to prevent bone density loss you?ll
loss accelerates. In men a reduction in the hormonehave a stronger, healthier future.