Suffering from brittle bones? Here’s what causes bone loss in elderly | Health - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Suffering from brittle bones? Here’s what causes bone loss in elderly

Indo Asian News Service, New York | By
Sep 24, 2017 03:33 PM IST

Osteoporosis -- the thinning of bone and the loss of bone density that increases the risk of fractures -- is a major health problem in older people.

Researchers have identified a mechanism that leads to bone loss in older adults, an advance that may help develop therapeutics to treat the age-associated bone loss condition. Osteoporosis -- the thinning of bone and the loss of bone density that increases the risk of fractures -- is a major health problem in older people.

Often osteoporosis is accompanied by an increase in fat cells in the bone marrow.(Shutterstock)
Often osteoporosis is accompanied by an increase in fat cells in the bone marrow.(Shutterstock)

Often the condition is accompanied by an increase in fat cells in the bone marrow. The study led by Yi-Ping Li, Professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, found a protein called Cbf-beta which plays a critical role in maintaining the bone-producing cells.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Furthermore, the examination of aged mice showed dramatically reduced levels of Cbf-beta in bone marrow cells as compared to younger mice. The findings showed when this mechanism malfunctions, progenitor cells stop creating bone-producing cells and instead create fat cells.

Thus, maintaining this Cbf-beta may be essential to prevent human age-associated osteoporosis that is due to elevated creation of fat cells, Li said. The results were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Knowledge of this mechanism can provide targets in the search for novel bone-loss therapeutics to treat human osteoporosis with minimal side effects, the researchers noted.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more.

Oscars 2024: Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. Click Here

Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Tuesday, March 19, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On