, June 25 -- known condition called osteopenia is silently affecting millions of people worldwide, weakening bones and increasing the risk of fractures, particularly among older adults and postmenopausal women.

Health experts say the condition, which causes a gradual loss of bone mineral density, often develops without noticeable symptoms and may go undetected until a person suffers a fracture or undergoes a bone density scan.

Around 40 percent of adults globally are estimated to have osteopenia. In the UK alone, low bone density contributes to more than 500,000 fractures every year.

Bones constantly renew themselves through a process known as bone remodeling, in which old bone is broken down and replaced with new bone. During early ad...