Osteoporosis occurs when the body is unable to form new bones or when too much of the old bone is reabsorbed into the body or when both of these conditions occur simultaneously. There are two main minerals calcium and phosphate that are essential for the bone formation. If there is no sufficient intake of calcium or if the body fails to utilize calcium from the diet then there might be a problem with the bone production and formation and the bone tissues might also suffer.

When there are insufficient levels of calcium in the blood then the deposit is taken from the bones to meet the demands. This reduces the density of calcium from the bone. With age, the calcium and phosphate might be reabsorbed from the bones resulting in making the bone tissues weak. This result in making the bones brittle and they become susceptible to fracture. Postmenopausal women are more vulnerable to osteoporosis as compared to men.

When women go through menopause there is an increase in the osteoclast cells that are responsible for bone destruction. During menopause the production of estrogen decreases, apart from being responsible for reproduction, it also takes care of the female bone remodeling system. This results in sudden and rapid loss of bone and puts them in a position where development is not stimulated further. Estrogen plays an important role in bone remodeling and keeps the rates low. When the production of estrogen decreases it results in favoring of osteoclast cells and more calcium from the bone is reabsorbed.

Osteoporosis can also be secondary to a number of other conditions like alcoholism, chronic liver or kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, scurvy, leukemia, gastrointestinal diseases, cirrhosis, vitamin D deficiency, lymphoma, hypogonadism and rare genetic disorders, like Ehlers-Danlos and Marfan's syndrome. Hyperparathyroidism is a state where the body either produces less or is unable to recognize the parathyroid hormone. This can also occur spontaneously because of cancer.

There are also other agents like heparin, progestin without estrogen, hormonal agents that suppress estrogen, medicines for seizure, and high-dose loop diuretics that can lead to osteoporosis. The other causes include excess corticosteroid from Cushing syndrome, bone cancers, hyperthyroidism and in people who are on complete bed rest.

The main reason behind osteoporosis is the imbalance that occurs between reabsorption and bone formation. Physical activities result in bone remodeling and people who are always active are at a lower risk of osteoporosis. Being physically active during the adolescence has a great impact on the bone mass. In adults, being physically active can help increase the bone mass by 1 to 2 percent. It has been seen that age-related sarcopenia or loss of muscle mass, dementia and loss of balance can increase the risk of fractures in people with osteoporosis. Additionally, osteoporosis would not be much affected if you avoid falling too much that result in precipitating fractures.

Jonathan Pitts

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