How does estrogen work in the bones and why does it being low affect the density?

How does estrogen work in the bones and why does it being low affect the density?

Estrogen is a sex hormone that is essential to female bone health because it promotes the activity of osteoblasts, which are cells that produce bone. When estrogen levels drop during menopause, the osteoblasts aren’t able to effectively produce bone.

How does estrogen increase bone density?

Estrogen effects on bone formation Based on the available evidence, there are currently at least three key mechanisms by which estrogen deficiency may lead to a relative deficit in bone formation through direct effects on osteoblasts: increased apoptosis, increased oxidative stress, and an increase in NF-κB activity.

Does calcitonin increase bone density?

Calcitonin is a hormone naturally produced in the thyroid. When given to patients with osteoporosis, calcitonin produces modest increases in bone mass because it slows the rate at which osteoclasts absorb bone.

How does estrogen decrease bone density?

Estrogen deficiency can lead to excessive bone resorption accompanied by inadequate bone formation. Estrogen deficiency increases the number of osteoclasts and decreases the number of osteoblasts resulting in overall bone resorption.

How does estrogen affect calcium in bones?

During bone growth estrogen is needed for proper closure of epiphyseal growth plates both in females and in males. Also in young skeleton estrogen deficiency leads to increased osteoclast formation and enhanced bone resorption. In menopause estrogen deficiency induces cancellous as well as cortical bone loss.

How does estrogen affect osteoporosis?

Postmenopausal women are susceptible to primary osteoporosis since osteoporosis is closely related to estrogen deficiency. During the menopausal transition period, the drop of estrogen leads to more bone resorption than formation, resulting in osteoporosis.

How does osteoblasts affect bone density?

First, special bone cells called osteoclasts break down bone. Then, other bone cells called osteoblasts create new bone. Osteoclasts and osteoblasts can coordinate well for most of your life. Eventually, this coordination can break down, and the osteoclasts begin to remove more bone than the osteoblasts can create.

What is the effect of increasing calcitonin on osteoblast activity?

The data show that calcitonin, because of its antiresorptive effects, can prevent bone loss after cessation of ovarian function. However, short-term treatment with calcitonin does not stimulate osteoblast activity; on the contrary, it exerts a negative effect on osteoblastic bone formation and mineralization.

What does low estrogen do to your bones?

Women tend to have smaller, thinner bones than men. Estrogen, a hormone in women that protects bones, decreases sharply when women reach menopause, which can cause bone loss. This is why the chance of developing osteoporosis increases as women reach menopause.

How does estrogen affect calcium?

We conclude that estrogen treatment increases calcium absorption in postmenopausal osteoporosis by increasing serum 1,25(OH)2D. This effect appears to be mediated indirectly through stimulation of renal 1 alpha-hydroxylase by increased serum PTH.

Does estrogen help with bone density?

Estrogen is the key regulator of bone metabolism in both men and women. Menopause and the accompanying loss of ovarian estrogens are associated with declines in bone mineral density (BMD): 10-year cumulative loss was 9.1% at the femoral neck and 10.6%, lumbar spine. Estradiol concentrations also predict fractures.

What happens to osteoblasts and osteoclasts in osteoporosis?

Thus, imbalance can result in disease such as osteoporosis. Many types of cells and factors are involved in the process of bone remodeling. Osteoblast and osteoclast are the two main cells participating in those progresses (Matsuo and Irie, 2008).