Osteoporosis is a pathology characterized by a deterioration of the skeletal architecture, with progressive reduction of the bone mass which, consequently, becomes more fragile and exposed to a greater risk of fractures (typical, but not exclusive, is the fracture of the femur).
To be sure, bone loss can still occur over the course of an individual's life, but without a shadow of a doubt, the onset of menopause accelerates this degeneration.
For further information: Osteoporosis they are metabolically active and subject to a continuous remodeling process, known as "bone remodeling". Every day, about 10% of the total bone mass is renewed through resorption and neo-formation mechanisms. This process is mainly governed by two types of specialized cells:
- Osteoclasts, responsible for the destruction and resorption of bone;
- Osteoblasts, on the other hand, are responsible for building bone (deposition of different layers of a pre-osseous matrix - called osteoid - which is mineralized immediately after its deposition).
In all these processes, the role played by vitamin D and the hormones calcitonin (secreted by the parafollicular cells of the thyroid) and parathyroid hormone or parathyroid hormone (secreted by the parathyroid glands) is also fundamental. Vitamin D, in fact, is involved in the "absorption of calcium and phosphorus, calcitonin performs a" promoting action against bone mineralization (it stimulates the deposit of calcium), counteracting the action of the parathyroid hormone which, instead, favors the release of calcium from the bones, favoring the activity of osteoclasts.
