Do you know who possesses the highest risk of osteoporosis? Researchers have an answer

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New Delhi: A new research says that South Asian women may be more susceptible to osteoporosis and fractures in later life as they experience breakdown of bone tissues at a quicker rate.

Researchers from the University of Surrey in the UK examined the breakdown of bone tissue by osteoclast cells (bone resportion) in over 370 pre and post-menopausal and white Caucasian women in the UK.

Bone resorption is a natural process which enables the transfer of calcium from bone tissue into the bloodstream and is required to allow bone to adapt itself to challenges and repair damage.

However, if excessive, and not balanced by equivalent bone formation, this can be detrimental to bone health overtime.

Monitoring the women over a 12-month period, researchers measured levels of 'urinary N terminal telopeptide', a by-product of bone resorption found in urine, to assess how much bone was being broken down.

They discovered that pre-menopausal South Asian women had higher levels of this by-product in their urine than their white Caucasian counterparts, indicating elevated levels of bone resorption than would be expected for their age.

Typically high levels of this by-product are only found in post-menopausal women, researchers said.

This indicates that osteoclast cells in pre-menopausal South Asian women might be breaking down bones at a quicker rate than they are being reformed, making these women more susceptible to osteoporosis and fractures in later life.

(With IANS inputs)