But perhaps it will slow the rate. Menopause is the time in a woman's life when the ovaries stop producing estrogen and she ceases menstruating. This generally occurs around the age of 50. The loss of estrogen is associated with an increased rate of bone turnover and loss of calcium from the bone, which means that postmenopausal women are at an increased risk for bone loss. Those who are at higher risk for developing osteoporosis include women who have reached menopause, women who have had ovaries removed, people who have family history of the disease, those with a slender body frame, and those who smoke, drink alcohol or eat few calcium-rich dairy products.
Men also can be prone to osteoporosis.
Lukacs recommends that women who are experiencing signs of menopause such as night sweats, hot flashes or irregular cycles should discuss bone loss and osteoporosis with their physicians. If a routine blood test is a part of that visit, women may want to go a step further. If there is blood work done, more than likely this test is incorporated in it. If the serum alkaline levels indicate increased bone activity, the physician and patient may decide to perform a more definitive test to determine osteoporosis risk, such as the bone mineral density test. And of course one of those decisions will be whether you want any type of pharmacological intervention, whether it's hormone replacement or treatment with another drug that may prevent bone loss.