LATE CONSEQUENCES OF A LOW PEAK BONE MASS

The strong relationship between reduced bone mass and the risk of oste oporotic fractures has been well established in recently published, pr ospective studies. As bone mass decreases with advancing age, it seems logical to assume that a lower peak bone mass contributes to increasi ng bone fragility and, thus, to the incidence of fractures. However, t he scarcity of osteoporotic fractures in middle-age suggests that a lo w peak bone mass might not be the only determinant of the risk of oste oporosis. The aim of this review is to examine the relationship betwee n bone mass and the risk of fractures and to determine whether peak bo ne mass or the subsequent rate of bone loss is more important in deter mining the ultimate risk of osteoporosis. Such a prediction will have important implications for the prevention of osteoporosis.