How Do Your Bones Change Over Time?
You rely on bones and joints to support your body and help you navigate the world. How do bones grow, and what happens to them over time? A rheumatologist explains.
You rely on bones and joints to support your body and help you navigate the world. How do your bones grow, and what happens to them over time?
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Rheumatologist Chad Deal, MD, Head of the Center for Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Disease, explains.
Bone is densely packed with flexible fibers (termed collagen), hardened by calcium and phosphorus. They are built to withstand great stress from activities like walking, running and jumping.
Bone is a living tissue that constantly renews itself. “Your skeleton is completely new every 10 years,” says Dr. Deal.
In childhood and adolescence, bone buildup outpaces bone removal, or loss.
In your early 20s, the density of minerals in your bones peaks. Your bone mass may stabilize or start slowly declining as bone loss overtakes bone buildup.
Natural bone loss accelerates at mid-life. This is especially true for menopausal women, ages 55 to 65, as levels of protective estrogen decline.
“For men, the loss is more gradual because testosterone declines slowly,” says Dr. Deal.
But by age 65, the rate of bone loss evens out for men and women. For the rest of your life, bone mass gradually wanes.
If bone thinning makes your bone density drop below normal, you have osteopenia. This silent problem usually causes no symptoms.
“However, it is important to remember that most fractures occur in patients with osteopenia — so early identification, prevention and treatment are important,” says Dr. Deal.
If your bone thinning becomes severe, you’ll be diagnosed with osteoporosis. You may develop symptoms such as back pain, a hunched posture and fractures.
But you can take steps to keep your bones strong and healthy. Here’s how: