Estrogen Loss
As women age, the production of estrogen starts slowing down. When estrogen production starts to fade, and can have a significant effect on your bone health. Estrogen plays a pivotal role in bone growth, and as its levels decrease, it can limit your body’s production to produce new bone.
Men, by comparison, have significantly lower estrogen levels than women and do not commonly experience rapid changes in their hormone levels. When women go through menopause can experience major swings in hormonal levels, which can wreak havoc on bone growth and density.
Smaller Bones
Another reason women tend to deal with more bone issues than men is that women typically have smaller skeletons than men. One of the leading causes of these disparities is that men possess significantly higher levels of testosterone, which plays a role in bone mass and size. Estrogen, by comparison, helps your body to generate new bone tissue. As estrogen deteriorates with age, it can increase your risk of developing issues with your bones and joints, such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and inflammatory arthritis.
Other Risk Factors
There are other factors that can play a part in your bone health. For instance, your risk of developing osteoporosis or other bone-related concerns can vary based on your ethnicity, calcium intake, vitamin D levels, and physical activity.
If you’re concerned about maintaining your bone health, our office is happy to help address your concerns. The dedicated professionals of the Vascular Institute of Virginia have years of experience in helping patients maintain healthy bones and preserve their quality of life. For more on how we can help you, please schedule a call with our office by calling one of our 3 locations today at 703-763-5224.
