Osteoporosis Causes

Osteoporosis Causes

Starting in your 20s, you begin to lose bone mass. It is estimated that your skeleton is replaced every 10 years due to the constant cycle of bone loss and regeneration. Osteoporosis is caused when bone loss exceeds new bone growth. Bones consequently become brittle, thin, porous and prone to fractures and breaks.

During adolescence, the size of the bones are constantly growing and getting larger and stronger. But at some point, usually between the ages of 18 and 25, you reach your peak bone density mass or BMD which essentially means that you have developed all of the bone mass that you will ever have for the rest of your life. From the point of BMD and on, you either maintain your bone density mass or you start to lose it.

Several factors contribute to bone maintenance and several factors contribute to its loss. Therefore, the stronger bones a person develops during their bone-growing years, the more resilience and strength they have for preventing the age-related decline of bone density mass. This is why it is so important for children, teenagers and young adults to eat a nutritious diet full of calcium-rich and mineral-rich foods and get in enough exercise to build strong bones.

There are numerous risk factors for osteoporosis, some of which can be prevented or modified and some of which cannot. Here is a look at the most common risk factors:

• Age: The older a person gets, the more bone mass they lose making them more susceptible to the effects of osteoporosis.
• Gender: Women more than men are at a greater risk particularly because they lose one-fifth of their bone mass during their menopausal years.
• Body Structure: Having a slight, thin or small-boned frame increases one’s risk.
• Diet: Not eating enough dietary calcium, the bone-strengthening mineral and Vitamin D are linked to osteoporosis. In addition, diets high in carbonated soda and protein may also increase risk as these foods can leach bone-strengthening nutrients from the body and cause bones to weaken and become more brittle.
• Irregular Menstrual Cycles: Women who frequently miss periods have an increased risk for osteoporosis as are women who have a history of anorexia nervosa or very low body weight.
• Low Hormone Levels: Women who experience low estrogen levels and men who experience low testosterone levels are at an increased risk for developing osteoporosis.
• Lifestyle Behaviors: Smoking and alcohol consumption have been associated with increased risk as has leading a sedentary life, particularly lifestyles that don’t include any form of weight-bearing exercises.
• Medical History: Certain medications add to one’s risk as does having a history of bone trauma, breakages and accidents. Osteoporosis is caused by a cluster of related factors that over time rather than just one specific risk factor. Over time, this accumulative effect weakens the bone and makes it more susceptible to fractures and breaks.