Preventing osteoporosis

Abstract

Our bones are constantly changing. Old bone dissolves and is replaced with new, stronger bone. Before age 30, new bone appears faster than old bone disappears. But as we get older, the opposite occurs; bone breaks down faster than it is replaced. When this happens, the bones can become “spongy” and weak and are more likely to break, even with just a slight twist or bump. This condition is called osteoporosis, which means “porous bone” in Latin. It affects about 28 million Americans.