PATHOGENESIS AND PREVENTION OF POSTMENOPA USAL OSTEOPOROSIS .1. DIAGNOSIS AND PATHOGENESIS

Postmenopausal women are at high risk of osteoporosis. Prevention stra tegies should aim at reducing postmenopausal loss of bone mass and opt imizing skeletal mass in young women. Osteoporotic fracture risk is in fluenced by genetics, estrogen status and physical activity. Nutrition al factors of importance are those affecting the calcium balance. Prev entive measures include adequate dietary calcium intake. Calcium balan ce depends also an urinary calcium loss and intestinal calcium absorpt ion rate. Because the latter is influenced by the vitamin D status, at tention must be paid on adequate vitamin D supply, particularly in the elderly. Another factor of consideration is body weight. An enhanced body mass index is associated with reduced risk of osteoporosis. Under weight should be avoided.