Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a silent disease. Loss of bone mass leads to bone fragility, but there are no symptoms. For many, the first “symptom” of osteoporosis is a fracture. The hip, spine and wrist are the most vulnerable fracture sites, and hip and spine fractures can lead to significant disability.
Osteoporosis is generally looked upon as a disease that afflicts post-menopausal women. Nonetheless, more than 2 million men in the U.S. are also afflicted, about 20 percent of the total number of diagnosed cases.
Osteoporosis susceptibility derives from both genetic and environmental factors. Risks rise and fall with certain behaviors. Not surprisingly, diet, exercise and smoking play significant roles. Current clinical practice focuses on helping those at risk retain bone mass through lifestyle changes and supplemental calcium and hormonal treatments.
Osteoporosis research at The Jackson Laboratory
Faculty at the Laboratory study osteoporosis in both clinical and laboratory environments, researching the genetics of bone mineral density (BMD) acquisition and maintenance. It’s a formidable and complex challenge to find the genes involved and to allow for the environmental influences. Nonetheless, candidate genes have been identified in several different areas of the genome, all of which demonstrate rich genetic regulation for bone.
