Why is Osteoporosis more common in women?

Why is Osteoporosis more common in women?

Women are observed to be at higher risk of suffering from Osteoporosis than men. It was studied in the research that women will lose the bone density very quickly as the age advances. This result in the condition called osteoporosis. A woman on average was found to lose the bone density at the hip region by one-third during her age ranging from 20 to 80 years.

National institute of Arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases have shown through statistics that women will experience higher burden due to osteoporosis. The statistics say that among 44 million people, 68 percent who were at risk of osteoporosis were women. For every two women above 50 years of age, one would have experienced osteoporosis fracture in his life. The frequency is observed lesser in men as they experience osteoporosis one in four men. From all the studies of osteoporosis, 3/4th of these populations were found to be women.

Osteoporosis might have started even in childhood or adolescence. The peak bone mass will be reached earlier in women at around 18 years while in men it occurs at 20 years of age. From then onwards the growth in bone mass takes place gradually and slowly. Increase in bone mass occurs more in men than in women. Bones are totally formed by 30 years. The bone cells will be certainly rejuvenated after this and the size of the bones does not alter from here.

Environmental as well as genetic issues may be involved in influencing the bone loss. Sometimes hormones also play an important role in losing the bone mass. Estrogen hormone regulates the menstruation cycle in women as well as takes care of bone health in males and females. Women who are in the premenopausal stage have enough estrogen than that is present in men. After menopause, women will have reduced estrogen levels which might lead to bone loss and osteoporosis in women.

Women will have higher risk for osteoporosis when they experience changes in estrogen levels during the situations like: irregular periods or starting the periods at the later age, if their ovaries were removed, and if they have started menopause. Because of all these reasons women are at higher risk of getting osteoporosis.