While we tend to think of adult bones as being static and unchanging, they’re actually made up of living tissues and cells that are constantly being shed and regenerated. Bones mainly consist of collagen and calcium phosphate. Your bone cells are regularly being reabsorbed into your blood, and new cells are produced to replace them. Estrogen plays a vital role in bone protection and bone health. As your estrogen levels wane during the menopausal transition, the protection and regulation of bone growth also wane, leading to osteoporosis. Learn how bone loss can affect your long-term health, and what you can do about it.*

How Does Estrogen Protect Bones?

Estrogen regulates your bone metabolism, affecting both specialized bone cells called osteoblasts which generate new bone tissue, and osteoclasts, which are involved in bone tissue breakdown. When all is in harmony, lost bone tissue and minerals are adequately replaced, keeping your skeleton dense, strong, and resistant to injury.

When an imbalance occurs, however, as when estrogen levels start to fluctuate and decline during peri-menopause, bone production can lag behind bone reabsorption. This can cause your bones to become porous, brittle, and more vulnerable to fractures. 

Are Some People at Higher Risk?

Osteoporosis is painless, and there are no noticeable symptoms. Most people don’t realize that their bones have weakened and become brittle unless they get a bone density or imaging test, or until they suffer a bone fracture or break. These occurrences become more likely the older you get. Both men and women can get osteoporosis as they age.

Some people are more at risk than others, however. These include:

• Women older than 65
• Men older than 70
• People older than 50 who have previously had a bone break or fracture
• People with chronic back pain
• People who have lost more than a half inch of height in a year’s time
• People going through the menopausal transition

If you are at risk, the National Osteoporosis Foundation suggests speaking with your doctor and getting a bone density test in order to detect and address bone loss as early as possible.

Can I Prevent Osteoporosis?

There are a variety of lifestyle habits that can help keep your bones strong and healthy as you age, especially if you start them early, before bone loss begins (around age 35-40). These include:

• Eating foods high in calcium and vitamin D, or taking supplements
• Doing squats, walking, dancing, or climbing stairs
• Doing push-ups, weight lifting, or using resistance bands
• Not smoking, and limiting your alcohol consumption
• Getting some sun exposure, to absorb more vitamin D 

Estrogen replacement therapy, also called hormone replacement therapy or menopausal hormone therapy, is another method used by many women to stave off or relieve symptoms of menopause, including bone loss. Hormone therapy is generally safe, but does carry some health risks and requires a prescription. Speak with your doctor about all your options.

*Geng, C. (2021, December 22). How Does Estrogen Affect Osteoporosis? Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/estrogen-and-osteoporosis