Causes of Osteoporosis: The Case of the Shrinking Bones
The causes of osteoporosis are varied, including aging, bone size, lifestyle, medications and several others. Heredity combined with these other factors determines the risk of developing this disease.
Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by weak bones due to bone loss. Though some normal bone thinning can be expected as you age, osteoporosis is diagnosed when the bone loss reaches a certain stage when compared to bones of the average person.
Understanding what are the causes of osteoporosis is important because many of them can be managed. Though you can't change your heredity, you can certainly change your lifestyle. In some cases that's enough to prevent osteoporosis. But even as you age or face factors of heredity, there are steps you can take to prevent osteoporosis from developing.
Women develop this disease more than men for a couple of reasons. One of the reasons is that women are simply smaller boned then men and don't have as much bone mass. In addition, women go through menopause, following which declines in estrogen lead to bone loss. But, beyond that, both men and women can find themselves with less bone density due to other factors, as well.
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The Other Culprits
Besides normal bone density and declines in hormone levels, the normal aging process and lifestyle have a direct impact on bone density or loss of bones over the years. Women start losing bone after the age of 35. It takes men longer to reach the stage where bone loss is greater than bone addition, because they don't go through major hormone changes. But after the age of 65, men and women are losing bone mass at similar rates, this is one of the greatest causes of osteoporosis.
Other culprits that can cause bone density loss to the point where osteoporosis develops include the following:
Small less dense bones that are the natural make-up of the person's skeletal structure (think: small boned)
Smoking, which lowers estrogen levels and decreases calcium absorption
Calcium deficiency
Heavy alcohol consumption
Poor diet
Medications that cause calcium loss
Other diseases that affect your body's ability to absorb nutrients
Some of these causes and Effects can be interdependent. For example, a poor diet can lead to a calcium deficiency which is one of the causes of osteoporosis.
Each causes of osteoporosis listed has many factors associated with it. As one example, there are numerous medications, such as corticosteroids, that can lead to bone loss!. People who have rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease have a much higher chance of developing osteoporosis.
The Bones
The skeleton has a dual function:
It provides structural support for muscles and organs.
It also serves as a storehouse for the body's calcium and other essential minerals, such as phosphorus and magnesium.
The skeleton holds 99% of the body's calcium. The remaining 1% circulates in the blood and is essential for crucial bodily functions, ranging from muscle contraction to nerve function to blood clotting.
Bone Turnover: the Breakdown and Growth of Bones. Bone tissue is constantly being broken down and reformed again. This turnover is necessary for growth, for repair of minor damage that occurs from everyday stress, and for the maintenance of a properly functioning body. Two essential cells are involved in this process:
Osteoclast cells are formed from certain blood cells and are responsible for the breakdown, or resorption, of the skeleton. These cells dig holes into the bone and release the small amounts of calcium into the bloodstream that are necessary for other vital functions.
Osteoblast cells are produced by bone cells and are the bone builders. They rebuild the skeleton, first by filling in the holes with collagen, and then by laying down crystals of calcium and phosphorus.
Each year, about 10 - 30% of the adult skeleton is remodeled in this way. The balance of bone build-up (formation) and break down (resorption) is controlled by a complex mix of hormones and chemical factors. If bone resorption occurs at a greater rate than bone build up, your bone loses density and puts you at risk for osteoporosis.
In women, estrogen loss after menopause is associated with rapid resorption and loss of bone density. This group, then, is at highest risk for osteoporosis and therefore for fracture.
Studies have suggested that the loss of estrogen as well as testosterone may contribute to bone loss in elderly men. Both hormones appeared to be integral to bone function in men.
There are many causes of osteoporosis and often more than one working together to cause the disease. Fortunately there are many steps you can take to prevent, slow down and manage osteoporosis.
