How does aging primarily affect bone density?

• A. It leads to an increase in bone mass
• B. It causes deterioration and loss of bone density
• C. It results in prolonged bone growth
• D. It causes hormonal imbalance only

Answer: (B)

As individuals age, the process of bone remodeling becomes imbalanced. This means that the rate of bone resorption, where old bone is broken down and removed, starts to exceed the rate of bone formation, where new bone is created. This imbalance often leads to a net loss of bone density over time.

In particular, with aging, there is a decrease in the activity of osteoblasts, the cells responsible for bone formation, coupled with an increase in the activity of osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone. This results in bones becoming less dense and more porous, which can increase the risk of fractures and conditions such as osteoporosis.

The other options present misunderstandings about how aging affects bone density. For instance, aging does not lead to an increase in bone mass or prolonged bone growth; rather, it typically results in the opposite situation. While hormonal changes do affect bone density as people age, stating that aging only causes hormonal imbalances oversimplifies the multifactorial nature of bone density loss.