A new study about to be undertaken by the University of Rochester Medical Center may finally shed light on the role environmental lead exposure plays in bone maturation and loss. The researchers involved say that a growing body of research indicates that lead exposure could be a major factor in an older person's risk for osteoporosis.

Scientists have known for some time that the human skeletal system is a storehouse for lead in people who were exposed to high levels in their childhood, but it was believed that this storage did not cause ill effects. But recent studies have now shown just the opposite to be true, and that lead in bone can actually trigger a chain reaction that first accelerates bone growth, and then eventually limits it, so that a high peak bone mass is not achieved. Such a chain of events, say the researchers, can predispose a young person to develop osteoporosis later in life.

Source: University of Rochester Medical Center

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