[Development and aging of bone in the female life cycle].

In Japan, where the society is fast aging at an unprecedented pace, osteoporosis is estimated to affect more than 15 million individuals, thus representing a "common" disease, which exactly meets the definition of a lifestyle-related disease. As osteoporosis has a predominantly female prevalence and bone accounts for the most marked gender difference all organs commonly affected in males and females alike, to have an understanding of the development and aging of bone in women represents an urgent task toward gaining a better understanding of the pathophysiology of osteoporosis affecting them as well as its clinical stages. In this context, the benefit of ensuring bone health has been identified as maintenance of ADL/QOL in the elderly as well as prevention of osteoporotic fractures which lead to affected individuals becoming bed-ridden and requiring nursing care.