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Osteoporosis is a reduction in bone mass that causes bones to become fragile. It is a major health concern in postmenopausal women, and in 1983, it was estimated that 15 to 20 million Americans had osteoporosis. Many studies have attempted to determine the relationship between dietary calcium and the loss of bone mass that occurs during osteoporosis. However, these studies have produced conflicting results. It has been reported that taking calcium supplements shortly after the onset of menopause does not improve bone mass or density. It is less clear if calcium supplements given several years after menopause begins can improve bone mass or density. Therefore, a study was conducted of 131 healthy women in late postmenopause (average age of 64 years). The amount of calcium consumed in the normal diet and the bone mineral density (BMD, a measure of bone mass and fragility) of the spine were determined for each subject. The normal daily diet of the women contained an average of 606 milligrams of calcium per day. The women who had been consuming less than 606 milligrams of calcium per day had significantly lower BMD and weighed an average of 1.8 pounds less than those who had been consuming more than that. BMD was found to be related to body weight and dietary calcium intake. The results of this study support the theory that calcium intake in the diet is related to bone health in postmenopausal women, and suggest that dietary calcium intake should be increased in many cases. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)