What is osteoporosis? Osteoporosis is a chronic disease that, like hypertension and diabetes, is mostly seen in the elderly. It is a systemic bone disease caused by abnormal bone metabolism in the body due to various reasons (including old age, diseases, medications, etc.), resulting in a decrease in bone mass and abnormal changes in the microstructure of bones throughout the body. Is osteoporosis a genetic disease? Osteoporosis is not a genetic disease, and just because a parent has osteoporosis does not necessarily mean that the child will have it. However, osteoporosis, like diabetes and hypertension, is closely related to genetic factors – the incidence of osteoporosis is higher in whites and yellows than in blacks, and there is no significant relationship between this condition and calcium intake. In addition, there is a significant correlation between bone density and fractures in both parents and children. Therefore, 80% of the peak bone mass is attributed to genetic factors and 20% is influenced by environmental factors. If the parents have osteoporosis, especially the mother has osteoporosis, the children are more likely to suffer from this disease than the general population. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to it and prevent it early.