Bone Health

Summary

Prevention is an important focus for every body system, and the health of the skeleton is no exception. The vertebral bodies, the femur, and other bones must handle a tremendous amount of force throughout a person’s lifetime. Healthy bone requires a precise balance between bone formation (by osteoblasts) and bone absorption (by osteoclasts). Around age 30, bone density peaks. After that, for most people, it steadily decreases with age. It is vital to pay attention to bone health throughout the life cycle, especially before diagnoses such as osteopenia or osteoporosis are made. Future bone density is influenced by whether or not a person’s mother had healthy calcium and vitamin D levels, and whether or not the person was breast fed.1 It is vital that children and adolescents maintain healthy calcium and vitamin D levels to optimize their peak bone density. The first few years of menopause are a period of especially significant bone loss as estrogen levels drop and there is less osteoclast inhibition.

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