Calcium (and Phosphate) Regulation I-- Bone Growth and Remodeling

Practice: A 53-year-old woman presents to her primary-care physician complaining of hot flashes and night sweats. She hasn’t had a menstrual period for the last eight months. Her physician tells her that she’s going through menopause, a time when estrogen levels in the body decrease. One of the effects of decreased estrogen is to increase the activity of RANKL. Which of the following describes the likely effect of decreased estrogen on this woman’s bone density?