Female competitive athletes are especially at risk for the female triad: interruption of their menstrual cycle, low calorie intake, and low bone mineral density. On the flip side, too much exercise doesn’t do a body good. This is to build your peak bone mass and maintain healthy bone mass as you age. Not Enough Exercise (or Too Much!): Weight-bearing exercises like walking, dancing, and hiking, as well as resistance training put just enough stress on bones to stimulate bone formation. In men, low testosterone levels are also linked to lower bone density.Įxcess Alcohol: Chronic, heavy drinking (defined as more than two drinks a night) is linked to lower bone density. The loss of estrogen that comes with menopause can accelerate bone loss, and going through this change of life early (say, in your 40s) can up your risk of osteopenia. Tingling (particularly in your lips, tongue, fingers and feet)Įbbing Hormones: Yup, hormones affect bones, too. How do you know your body is low in calcium? Tell your doc if you experience any of these symptoms: Three circumstances that can leave you deficient in many nutrients and vitamins necessary for good bone health: Practicing a balanced, healthy approach to eating is best for your bones. And failing to get enough calcium and D as you age will cause your bone to break down faster. Skimping on either nutrient during the first couple of decades of your life may cause your peak bone mass to be low. Heartburn medications known as Proton pump inhibitors (Prevacid, Nexium)ĭiet: A diet chronically low in calcium and vitamin D-which helps your body absorb calcium-can affect bone density. Medications: Certain drugs can accelerate bone loss. Osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder that affects normal bone formation Paget’s disease (which interferes with normal bone remodeling, leaving bones fragile) Osteomalacia (softening of bones due to a severe vitamin D deficiency) Rare Bone Diseases: A bone disease, like those below, can certainly affect your bone density. Undiagnosed celiac disease (if not treated via dietary changes)Įating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia Underlying Conditions: A number of diseases can interfere with healthy bone development by impacting how your body absorbs calcium and other nutrients. It’s said that up to 80 percent of your peak bone mass is determined by your genetics.
Genetics: Your bone quality is passed down from our parents. More than half of white postmenopausal women have the condition. Smaller Stature: Being a slim, petite, “small-boned” woman is associated with lower bone density levels and a higher risk of osteoporosis.īeing Caucasian or Asian: These groups tend to have far higher rates of low bone density than Latinos or African Americans. Research has shown that women age 50 and older are twice as likely to have osteopenia than men. So, once they start losing bone with age, there’s less to lose. Females bones are naturally smaller and thinner than men’s, and so women have a lower peak bone mass. These include:īeing Born a Woman: Anatomy puts women at a higher risk for developing low bone density. But some factors can erode bones earlier, or accelerate loss after age 50. Most people don’t have low bone density until mid-life, when you start naturally losing bone mass. If you had a childhood illness that affected bone formation or caused malnutrition (for example, undiagnosed celiac disease or anorexia), your peak bone mass probably isn’t as high as it could be. So, how exactly do you wind up low bone density or osteopenia? By age 30, you’ll have reached your peak bone mass-the strongest your bones will be in your lifetime. What Are the Risk Factors for Osteopenia?
Osteoblasts are constantly making new bone, while osteoclasts break down old bone, releasing calcium into your blood and tissue, a process called remodeling. Osteocytes, old osteoblasts that are trapped in the bone matrix
Osteoclasts, cells that break down bone (also known as bone resorption) Bones are comprised of three types of cells: Your bones are also made of collagen, a protein that gives them some flexibility, allowing them to give a little without breaking. When you’re a baby, your bones are soft and flexible, and even fuse together with other bones (fun fact: you’re born with almost 100 more bones than you have as an adult).Īs you grow older, cartilage is replaced by calcium phosphate, a mineral that makes them hard. What are bones made of? At first, mostly cartilage (a resilient and smooth elastic tissue). Your bones start forming when you’re a fetus, and they continue to do so until sometime in your 20s. Let’s start at the very beginning-in utero.
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