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- What is osteoporosis?
- Symptoms of osteoporosis
- Causes of osteoporosis
- Prevention of osteoporosis
- Risk factors for osteoporosis
- Complications of osteoporosis
- When to see a doctor about osteoporosis
- Diagnosis of osteoporosis
- Conventional treatment of osteoporosis
- Alternative/complementary treatment of osteoporosis
- Living with osteoporosis
- Caring for someone with osteoporosis
There is no single cause which underlies the development of osteoporosis, but there are a number of factors which can predispose a person (especially a woman) to developing osteoporosis.
The following are thought to be part of the general reasons that osteoporosis occurs:
Genetics and family history
Recent studies suggest that women who close family relatives with osteoporosis (mother, grandmother, aunt) have a much higher incidence of developing osteoporosis than women who do not have this family history with this condition. A few other studies have suggested that some women with osteoporosis may have a defective gene which disrupts their body's use of vitamin D, which may cause an inability to absorb calcium and precipitate osteoporosis.
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Menopause and lack of eostrogen
The menopause is one of the major factors in the development of osteoporosis in women. Prior to menopause, while a woman is still menstruating, the circulating eostrogen provides a protective effect on women's bones by ensuring that the vitamin D from foods is activated to help absorb calcium from foods and ensuring less bone is broken down than is built-up. When women enter menopause, the bone-protective effects of eostrogen disappear as the levels of eostrogen drop dramatically and this is part of the reason so many older women have osteoporosis.
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