It is made mostly of collagen, a protein that provides a soft framework, and calcium phosphate, a mineral that adds strength and hardens the framework. This combination of collagen and calcium makes bone strong yet flexible to withstand stress. During childhood and teenage years, new bone is added faster than old bone is removed. As a result, bones become larger, heavier, and denser. After age 30, bone resorption slowly begins to exceed bone formation.
Osteoporosis develops when bone resorption occurs too quickly or if replacement occurs too slowly.
Osteoporosis is more likely to develop if you did not reach optimal bone mass during your bone building years. A Collaborative Approach Significant efforts are underway at the Federal level aimed at addressing this serious public health threat. This group provides a forum for the sharing of information between NIH institutes and other Federal agencies to enhance communication and to coordinate research efforts. Overall, significant advances in prevention and treatment of osteoporosis are available today, as the direct result of research focused on determining the causes and consequences of bone loss at cellular and tissue levels, assessing, risk factors, developing strategies to maintain and even enhance bone density, and exploring the roles of such factors as hormones, calcium, vitamin D, drugs, and exercise on bone mass. In the past decade, there has been an explosion of basic and clinical research in osteoporosis.