A link between mitochondrial damage and osteoporosis

In healthy people, a tightly controlled process balances out the activity of osteoblasts, which build bone, and osteoclasts, which break it down. Damage to cells' mitochondria can make that process go awry, according to new research. The findings shed light on how exposure to cigarette smoke, alcohol, and certain medications and environmental toxins can raise the risk of osteoporosis.