In women there is an additional marked acceleration of bone loss at the time of the menopause, which lasts for a period of ten years. This accelerated phase of bone loss is due to an increase in bone resorption and occurs as a consequence of the effects of withdrawal of oestrogen: oestrogen deficiency leads to increased bone resorption. In later life, decreased osteoblast activity occurs in men and women, and further progressive decrease in bone formation is seen in advanced age in both sexes. The decline in bone mass that occurs in men and women, but is more pronounced in women, makes the skeleton more fragile in the elderly and is the reason why older people develop fractures of susceptible bones following trivial injuries ΓÇô a condition known as osteoporosis.
