Osteoporosis is a  condition marked by a reduction in bone mass, either due to reduced bone formation or accelerated bone resorption. Osteoporosis is a result of complex interaction of multiple factors that eventually result in bones becoming brittle and fracture when exposed to minimal stress.

 

Postmenopausal women commonly suffer from this condition owing to the decrease in the levels of a hormone known as estrogen during menopause. Estrogen deficiency makes the bone more sensitive to the resorbing effect of another hormone known as the parathyroid hormone (PTH). While in men osteoporosis may result from the decreased production of testosterone in the body. Older men and women suffer from osteoporosis (referred to as senile osteoporosis) owing to decreased formation of bone that gets worn out naturally. This type of osteoporosis wherein no underlying disorder or condition can be attributed to bone loss other than changes associated with normal ageing is referred to as primary osteoporosis.

In some cases, consumption of medications such as glucocorticoids or certain underlying disorders such as Cushing’s syndrome and hyperthyroidism can result in increased dissolution of the minerals of the bone thereby leading to osteoporosis (referred to as secondary osteoporosis).¹