In osteoporosis, the inside of the bones becomes porous from a
loss of
calcium (see the picture below). This is called losing bone mass. Over
time, this weakens the bones and makes them more likely to break.Osteoporosis
is much more common in women than in men. This is because women have
less bone
mass than men, tend to live longer and take in less calcium,
and need the female hormone
estrogen to keep their bones strong. If
men live long enough, they are also at risk of getting
osteoporosis later
in life.Once total bone mass has peaked—around age 35—all
adults start to lose it. In women, the rate of bone loss speeds up
after menopause, when estrogen levels fall. Since the
ovaries make
estrogen, faster bone loss may also occur if both ovaries are removed
by surgery.
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