Your bones are living tissue. Throughout life, old bone is broken down by cells called osteoclasts and new bone is laid down by cells called osteoblasts in a continuous remodeling cycle. Peak bone mass is typically reached around age 30, and after that bone is slowly lost at a baseline rate of roughly 0.5 to 1 percent per year.
After menopause, the protective effect of estrogen falls away, and many women lose 2 to 3 percent of bone mass per year for several years. When removal outpaces rebuilding for long enough, the internal bone scaffolding thins and weakens, creating the porous, fragile structure that defines osteoporosis.
According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, about one in two women and up to one in four men over age 50 will break a bone due to osteoporosis. At Paradise Family Healthcare, we address these risks directly through chronic disease management that tracks bone health alongside your other long-term conditions.
