Once a woman reaches her 30s and 40s, bone mass in the hip starts to decline because there is an imbalance between the volume of the various bone components which are removed during the normal metabolism and buildup of bone, and those reincorporated during the bone remodelling process. When menopause occurs, the rate of bone loss accelerates and is particularly fast in the first ten years after menopause.
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This accelerated bone loss is caused by oestrogen deficiency.
Certain nutritional and lifestyle factors (such as poor calcium intake) may contribute to low bone mass independent of the levels of oestrogen.
Postmenopausal osteoporosis affects the entire skeleton. In the early postmenopausal years, bone loss averages 2% a year but can vary between less than 1% to more than 5%.
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