MCMS Feedback Page . Osteoporosis is a serious health problem that causes bones to lose mass and break easily.
Osteoporosis is a serious public health problem in the United States.
It affects more than 24 million people and causes more than 1.5 million fractures to vertebrae, wrists and hips each year. It is the major underlying cause of bone fractures in postmenopausal women and the elderly. In osteoporosis, the rate at which bone breaks down exceeds the rate at which it can be replaced. Throughout life, bone undergoes a process called remodeling - breaking down old bone and replacing it with strong new bone. Up until approximately age 30, as calcium is added to the diet, the rate at which bone is replaced is greater than the rate at which it breaks down.