The prevention of osteoporosis begins with optimal bone growth and development in youth. Bones are living tissue, and the skeleton grows continually from birth to the end of the teen years, reaching a maximum strength and size (peak bone mass) in early adulthood, around the mid-20s.

Children and adolescents should:

Ensure an adequate calcium intake which meets the relevant dietary recommendations in the country or region where they live
Avoid undernutrition and protein malnutrition
Maintain an adequate supply of vitamin D through sufficient exposure to the sun and through diet
Participate in regular physical activity
Avoid smoking
Be educated about the risk of high alcohol consumption

For further information about bone development in youth, see the IOF report "Invest in Your Bones: How diet, life styles and genetics affect bone development in young people".

Adulthood

Bone mass acquired during youth is an important determinant of the risk of osteoporotic fracture during later life. The higher the peak bone mass, the lower the risk of osteoporosis. Once peak bone mass has been reached, it is maintained by a process called "remodeling" - a continuous process in which old bone is removed (resorption) and new bone is created (formation). The renewal of bone is responsible for bone strength throughout life.

During childhood and the beginning of adulthood, bone formation is more important than bone resorption. In later life, however, the rate of bone resorption is greater than the rate of bone formation and results in net bone loss. Any factor which causes a higher rate of bone remodelling will ultimately lead to a more rapid loss of bone mass and thus more fragile bones. The nutritional and lifestyle criteria for building strong bones in youth is also applicable to adults to prevent excessive bone loss:

Adequate calcium and vitamin D intake (recommendations range from country-to-country, varying between 800 to 1300 mg per day, depending on age) See list of calcium recommendations and further information about the role of nutrition in bone health.
Regular, weight-bearing exercise
Not smoking
Avoid heavy drinking
Persons of middle age and beyond should follow these fundamental principles. They should also assess their risk of developing osteoporosis and, with medical advice, consider medications to help maintain an optimal bone mass and to decrease the risk of fracture.

© 2009 LES LABORATOIRES SERVIER,
an incorporated company of SERVIER
All Rights Reserved - Terms of Use
Page last updated on 27/05/2008 - Get the latest updates
SERVIER does not sell its products over the Internet - More information