Bone Health, Osteoporosis and Aging

Why bone belongs in a longevity library

Bone is one of the few parts of aging where there are large human trials with a clear clinical outcome: broken bones. That makes it a useful test of how longevity ideas should be judged. This page summarizes what trials and public health bodies say. It is information only and does not replace advice from your own clinician. For everyday guidance see Osteoporosis and Bone Health.

What osteoporosis is

Osteoporosis weakens bones so they break more easily. It develops slowly and often causes no symptoms until a bone breaks, most often in the wrist, hip or spine. [1] Healthy bone is constantly broken down and rebuilt; osteoporosis develops when more is broken down than replaced. [2]

The NHS says losing bone is a normal part of aging, but some people lose it much faster, and women lose bone rapidly in the first few years after menopause. [1] The National Institute on Aging reports that osteoporosis affects about one in five women over 50 and about one in 20 men. [2]

Doctors estimate bone strength with a bone density scan, which reports a T score. On the NHS scale, a score below -2.5 is defined as osteoporosis and a score between -1 and -2.5 as low bone density (osteopenia). [1] Most fractures happen in people whose scores are not in the osteoporosis range, so scans are one input among several. [3] See DEXA Scans, Body Composition and Bone Density for what the scan can and cannot tell you.

Who is screened

In January 2025 the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended screening for osteoporosis in women aged 65 or older and in postmenopausal women under 65 at increased risk (both grade B). For men it concluded the evidence is insufficient to judge the balance of benefits and harms (an "I statement"), which is not the same as saying screening is useless. [3] Its review found three randomized trials of screening, all in older European women, and none that included men. [3] This is a US recommendation. Other countries differ, and organizations disagree on men. [3]

What the research shows

Two points need care. First, the vitamin D and calcium trials mostly enrolled people who were not selected for deficiency, low bone mass or osteoporosis. [5] They do not show that correcting a true deficiency is pointless, and the NHS still advises vitamin D and calcium-rich food as part of bone health. [7] Second, a change in bone density is a biomarker. Fewer fractures is the outcome that matters, and exercise trials have not shown that clearly. [4] For nutrient details see Vitamin D and Vitamin D and Healthy Aging: Trial Evidence.

Falls and fractures go together

A fracture needs a fall, so fall prevention is part of bone health. Exercise programs reduce the rate of falls by about 23% in a Cochrane review of 108 trials, rated high-certainty. [8] See Frailty and Falls Prevention Research.

Longevity angle

Nothing on this page shows that a supplement or compound extends human lifespan by way of bone; the outcomes studied are fractures and bone density. Peptide claims about bone are covered in Peptides and Bone Health, and the link between menopause and bone is on Menopause, Midlife Hormone Changes and Healthy Aging.