The role of homocysteine in bone

__Abstract__ Osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass and deterioration of microarchitectural structure. It is a very common disease; in 2007 it was estimated that 1.9 in 1,000 men and 16.1 in 1,000 women had diagnosed osteoporosis in the Netherlands. However, the true number is expected to be 2-3 times higher, since osteoporosis often goes undetected because it causes no symptoms until a fracture occurs. Whether one develops osteoporosis is determined by multiple factors; for instance, high age, female sex, low body weight, smoking, limited physical activity and use of medication such as glucocorticoids are all risk factors. In addition, osteoporosis is high