Bone Aging: The Effects of Age on Bone

Many things change as we age. The color of our hair, the elasticity of our skin, the flexibility of our joints, our hormone levels; however, few things are changed as drastically or are as influential on the rest of our bodies as our bones. As we get older, cartilage changes and becomes more susceptible to stress, which in turn may lead to arthritis. Ligaments and other connective tissue begin to deteriorate, affecting our flexibility and mobility. And, our bones begin to lose density, leaving small holes in the bone that make them more vulnerable to breaks.

Bone aging is a natural part of getting older, but bone loss associated with aging may affect certain people earlier and more severely based on a variety of factors. Some of these factors include:

While bone loss is hard to avoid completely, there are steps you can take to prevent osteoporosis and bone loss from occurring earlier in life, and its severity. Speak with your health care provider about how you can improve your bone support, and what bone density testing options are available to determine your risk for bone loss and osteoporosis.