Why does persistent hyperthyroidism increase the risk of osteoporosis in older adults?

💡 Explanation

Hyperthyroidism causes excessive thyroid hormone (T3 and T4) secretion, which accelerates the rate of bone remodeling. This means that bone resorption by osteoclasts exceeds bone formation by osteoblasts, because thyroid hormones stimulate osteoclast activity. Therefore, bone density decreases, rather than increasing through stimulated osteoblast activity, increasing the risk of osteoporosis.

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