Post-menopausal women are at particular risk for osteoporosis. This is because the high oestrogen levels present before menopause help keep calcium in the bones. Osteoporosis contributes to major orthopedic problems such as hip fractures in 25 to 30 percent of post-menopausal women. The process of osteoporosis begins without symptoms. Later, persistent pain in the area of the lower spine may occur.
Many older women develop dowager's hump, caused by deformity of the vertebrae.
Frequently, osteoporosis advances silently until a spontaneous fracture takes place. It has been demonstrated that calcium supplements perform best when combined with the vitamins and minerals that naturally work alongside calcium in the body. Magnesium helps promote the absorption of calcium and is an important partner to calcium in cardiovascular health. When calcium and magnesium are out of balance within the body, calcium may be deposited in the heart and other muscles. The addition of Vitamin D to this formula, further increases absorption of the calcium.