The archaeology of osteoporosis

2001 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 263-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon Turner-Walker ◽  
Unni Syversen ◽  
Simon Mays

The application of medical scanning technologies to archaeological skeletons provides novel insights into the history and potential causes of osteoporosis. The present study investigated bone mineral density (BMD) in medieval skeletons from England and Norway. Comparisons between the two adult populations found no statistically significant differences. This compares with a modern fracture incidence for the femoral neck in women from Norway that is almost three times that in the UK. The pattern of age-related bone loss in medieval men was similar to that seen in men today. In contrast, the pattern in medieval women differed from that of modern young women. On average, medieval women experienced a decrease in BMD at the femoral neck of approximately 23 per cent between the ages of 22 and 35. These losses were partially recovered by age 45, after which BMD values show a decline consistent with post-menopausal bone loss in modern western women. A possible explanation of the rapid decline in BMD in young medieval women is bone loss in connection with pregnancy and lactation in circumstances of insufficient nutrition.

1997 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Brooke-Wavell ◽  
Peter R. M. Jones ◽  
Adrianne E. Hardman

1. This study examined the influence of brisk walking on skeletal status in post-menopausal women. 2. Subjects were 84 healthy women aged 60–70 years who were previously sedentary and at least 5 years post-menopausal. Subjects were randomly assigned to walking (n = 43) and control (n = 41) groups. Walkers followed a 12-month, largely unsupervised programme of brisk walking. The bone mineral density of the lumbar spine, femoral neck and calcaneus and broadband ultrasonic attention of the calcaneus were measured at baseline and after 12 months. 3. Forty control subjects and 38 walkers completed the study. Walkers built up to 20.4 ± 3.8 min/day (mean ± SD) of brisk walking. Body mass increased in control subjects relative to walkers [mean change (SE) ± 0.9 (0.3) and −0.1 (0.3) kg respectively; P = 0.04]. Predicted maximum oxygen uptake increased in walkers by 2.1 (0.9) ml min−1 kg−1 (P = 0.02). Bone mineral density in the lumbar spine and calcaneus fell in control subjects [–0.005 (0.004) and −0.010 (0.004) g/cm2, respectively] but not in walkers [+0.006 (0.004) and +0.001 (0.004) g/cm2]. The difference in response between groups was significant in the calcaneus (P = 0.04) but not in the lumbar spine (P = 0.08). Mean femoral neck bone mineral density did not change significantly in either group, although changes in walkers were related to the amount of walking completed (r = 0.51, P = 0.001). The change in broadband ultrasonic attenuation of the calcaneus differed between groups [control subjects, −3.7 (0.8); walkers, −0.7 (0.8) dB/MHz; P = 0.01]. 4. Walking decreased bone loss in the calcaneus and possibly in the lumbar spine. It also improved functional capacity and enabled walkers to avoid the increase in body mass seen in control subjects.


2003 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 505-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bess Dawson-Hughes

Dietary protein has several opposing effects on Ca balance and its net effect on bone is not well established. It has long been recognized that increasing protein intake increases urinary Ca excretion. More recently, it has been observed that increasing dietary protein raises the circulating level of insulin-like growth factor-1, a growth factor that promotes osteoblast formation and bone growth. Other effects of protein on the Ca economy have been suggested in some studies, but they are less well established. Several studies have examined associations between protein intake and bone loss and fracture rates. In the original Framingham cohort subjects with lower total and animal protein intakes had greater rates of bone loss from the femoral neck and spine than subjects consuming more protein. In another study higher total (and animal) protein intakes were associated with a reduced incidence of hip fractures in post-menopausal women. In contrast, a high animahplant protein intake has been associated with greater bone loss from the femoral neck and a greater risk of hip fracture in older women. Higher total and higher animal protein intakes have also been associated with increased risk of forearm fracture in younger post-menopausal women. In a recent study it was found that increasing dietary protein was associated with a favourable (positive) change in bone mineral density of the femoral neck and total body in subjects taking supplemental calcium citrate malate with vitamin D, but not in those taking placebo. The possibility that Ca intake may influence the impact of dietary protein on the skeleton warrants further investigation.


Rheumatology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malika A Swar ◽  
Marwan Bukhari

Abstract Background/Aims  Osteoporosis (OP) is an extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that leads to increased fracture susceptibility due to a variety of reasons including immobility and cytokine driven bone loss. Bone loss in other populations has well documented risk factors. It is unknown whether bone loss in RA predominantly affects the femoral neck or the spine. This study aimed to identify independent predictors of low bone mineral density (BMD) in patients RA at the lumbar spine and the femoral neck. Methods  This was a retrospective observational cohort study using patients with Rheumatoid arthritis attending for a regional dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary between 2004 and 2014. BMD in L1-L4 in the spine and in the femoral neck were recorded. The risk factors investigated were steroid use, family history of osteoporosis, smoking, alcohol abuse, BMI, gender, previous fragility fracture, number of FRAX(tm) risk factors and age. Univariate and Multivariate regression analysis models were fitted to explore bone loss at these sites using BMD in g/cm2 as a dependant variable. . Results  1,527 patients were included in the analysis, 1,207 (79%) were female. Mean age was 64.34 years (SD11.6). mean BMI was 27.32kg/cm2 (SD 5.570) 858 (56.2%) had some steroid exposure . 169(11.1%) had family history of osteoporosis. fragility fracture history found in 406 (26.6%). 621 (40.7%) were current or ex smokers . There was a median of 3 OP risk factors (IQR 1,3) The performance of the models is shown in table one below. Different risk factors appeared to influence the BMD at different sites and the cumulative risk factors influenced BMD in the spine. None of the traditional risk factors predicted poor bone loss well in this cohort. P129 Table 1:result of the regression modelsCharacteristicB femoral neck95% CIpB spine95%CIpAge at scan-0.004-0.005,-0.003<0.01-0.0005-0.002,0.00050.292Sex-0.094-0.113,-0.075<0.01-0.101-0.129,-0.072<0.01BMI (mg/m2)0.0080.008,0.0101<0.010.01130.019,0.013<0.01Fragility fracture-0.024-0.055,0.0060.12-0.0138-0.060,0.0320.559Smoking0.007-0.022,0.0350.650.0286-0.015,0.0720.20Alcohol0.011-0.033,0.0 5560.620.0544-0.013,0.1120.11Family history of OP0.012-0.021,0.0450.470.0158-0.034,0.0650.53Number of risk factors-0.015-0.039,0.0080.21-0.039-0.075,-0.0030.03steroids0.004-0.023,0.0320.030.027-0.015,0.0690.21 Conclusion  This study has shown that predictors of low BMD in the spine and hip are different and less influential than expected in this cohort with RA . As the FRAX(tm) tool only uses the femoral neck, this might underestimate the fracture risk in this population. Further work looking at individual areas is ongoing. Disclosure  M.A. Swar: None. M. Bukhari: None.


Author(s):  
Yogiraj Vaijanathrao Chidre ◽  
Amir Babansab Shaikh

Background: Osteoporosis is a common age related problem especially in women, with a consequent increase in bone fragility and susceptibility to fracture. Apart from Calcium, another nutrient that plays an important role in the mineralization of skeleton in Vitamin D. Osteocalcin, which is produced primarily by osteoblasts during bone formation, is considered to be one of the markers for osteoporosis.Methods: 314 women above the age of 40 were included into the study. A thorough physical and clinical examination, assessment of vital parameters, anthropometry evaluation was done for all patients. Bone mineral density was calculated using central DXA osteodensitometer at lumbar spine L1-L4, hip and ultradistal radius (in some cases.). Blood samples were taken for the detection of ionized calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, 25hydroxivitamin D (25 ODH) and serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) by chemiluminiscent assay. Bone markers such as osteocalcin were measured as required.Results: Out of the 314 women attending our OPD, 96 of them were diagnosed as having osteoporosis. 24 out of them had fragility fractures, mainly of the hip, and 82 had ostepenia. Elevated levels of calcium (8.96 mg/dl), parathyroid hormone (58.76 pg/ml) and osteocalcin (24.46 ng/ml) were observed. Vitamin D deficiency of ≤ 20 was seen in 59 (63%) of the cases, insufficient in 23 (24%) and only 12 (13%) of these women had normal Vitamin D levels.Conclusions: Osteocalcin is a promising marker for the detection of osteoporosis. There is a considerable Vitamin D deficiency among the women with osteoporosis, and it is under-treated. It is essential to provide Vitamin D supplementation to these women especially those who are at high risk for fragility fractures.


2008 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan A. Lanham-New

Throughout the life cycle the skeleton requires optimum development and maintenance of its integrity to prevent fracture. Bones break because the loads placed on them exceed the ability of the bone to absorb the energy involved. It is now estimated that one in three women and one in twelve men aged >55 years will suffer from osteoporosis in their lifetime and at a cost in the UK of >£1·7×109 per year. The pathogenesis of osteoporosis is multifactorial. Both the development of peak bone mass and the rate of bone loss are determined by key endogenous and exogenous factors. Ca supplements appear to be effective in reducing bone loss in women late post menopause (>5 years post menopause), particularly in those with low habitual Ca intake (<400 mg/d). In women early post menopause (<5 years post menopause) who are not vitamin D deficient, Ca supplementation has little effect on bone mineral density. However, supplementation with vitamin D and Ca has been shown to reduce fracture rates in the institutionalised elderly, but there remains controversy as to whether supplementation is effective in reducing fracture in free-living populations. Re-defining vitamin D requirements in the UK is needed since there is evidence of extensive hypovitaminosis D in the UK. Low vitamin D status is associated with an increased risk of falling and a variety of other health outcomes and is an area that requires urgent attention. The role of other micronutrients on bone remains to be fully defined, although there are promising data in the literature for a clear link between vitamin K nutrition and skeletal integrity, including fracture reduction.


BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S44-S44
Author(s):  
Julian Mutz ◽  
Cathryn M Lewis

AimsIndividuals with mental disorders, on average, die prematurely, have higher levels of physical comorbidities and may experience accelerated ageing. In individuals with lifetime depression and healthy controls, we examined associations between age and multiple physiological measures.MethodThe UK Biobank study recruited >500,000 participants, aged 37–73 years, between 2006–2010. Generalised additive models were used to examine associations between age and grip strength, cardiovascular function, body composition, lung function and bone mineral density. Analyses were conducted separately in males and females with depression compared to healthy controls.ResultAnalytical samples included up to 342,393 adults (mean age = 55.87 years; 52.61% females). We found statistically significant differences between individuals with depression and healthy controls for most physiological measures, with standardised mean differences between -0.145 and 0.156. There was some evidence that age-related changes in body composition, cardiovascular function, lung function and heel bone mineral density followed different trajectories in individuals with depression. These differences did not uniformly narrow or widen with age. For example, BMI in female cases was 1.1 kg/m2 higher at age 40 and this difference narrowed to 0.4 kg/m2 at age 70. In males, systolic blood pressure was 1 mmHg lower in cases at age 45 and this difference widened to 2.5 mmHg at age 65.ConclusionIndividuals with depression differed from healthy controls across a broad range of physiological measures. Differences in ageing trajectories differed by sex and were not uniform across physiological measures, with evidence of both age-related narrowing and widening of case-control differences.


2017 ◽  
pp. E146-E157 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Lin Liu ◽  
Han-Chung Lee ◽  
Chun-Chung Chen ◽  
Der-Yang Cho

Purpose: This meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of teriparatide vs. bisphosphonates in the management of osteoporosis. Methods: A total of 1,967 patients from eight randomized controlled trials were analyzed; outcomes included bone mineral density (BMD) of the femoral neck, total hip and lumbar spine, vertebral and nonvertebral fractures and any adverse event. A subgroup analysis of treatment effectiveness was performed according to the etiology of osteoporosis; i.e., glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO) vs. post-menopausal osteoporosis (PO). Results: Teriparatide increased the BMD of the lumbar spine, femoral neck and total hip to a greater extent than bisphosphonates. Patients treated with teriparatide also had a lower risk of vertebral fractures compared with bisphosphonates; however, no difference in risk of nonvertebral fractures (or adverse events) was found. GIO subgroups showed larger increases in BMD of the lumbar spine, total hip and femoral neck in patients treated with teriparatide compared with bisphosphonates. The PO subgroup showed larger increases in BMD of the lumbar spine in patients treated with teriparatide compared with bisphosphonates. Patients in the GIO subgroup (but not the PO subgroup) were less likely to suffer a vertebral fracture on teriparatide as compared with bisphosphonates. In contrast, no significant difference in the percentage of nonvertebral fractures was noted between the two types of treatment for either subgroup. Conclusion: Teriparatide significantly increased the BMD of lumbar spine, total hip and femoral neck, particularly in GIO-induced osteoporosis. Teriparatide did not lower the risk of nonvertebral fractures when compared with bisphosphonates.


1997 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 955-962 ◽  
Author(s):  
P D Delmas ◽  
R Balena ◽  
E Confravreux ◽  
C Hardouin ◽  
P Hardy ◽  
...  

PURPOSE To determine the effectiveness and safety of the bisphosphonate risedronate in preventing bone loss in young women with breast cancer and early menopause induced by chemotherapy who are at major risk for the development of postmenopausal osteoporosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS Fifty-three white women, aged 36 to 55 years, with breast cancer and artificially induced menopause were stratified according to prior tamoxifen use. Thirty-six patients received tamoxifen (20 mg/d). Within each stratum, patients were randomly assigned to receive risedronate (n = 27) or placebo (n = 26). Treatment consisted of eight cycles oral risedronate 30 mg/d or placebo daily for 2 weeks followed by 10 weeks of no drug (12 weeks per cycle). Patients were monitored for a third year without treatment. RESULTS Main outcomes of the study were changes in lumbar spine and proximal femur (femoral neck, trochanter, and Ward's triangle) bone mineral density (BMD), and biochemical markers of bone turnover. In contrast to a significant decrease of BMD at the lumbar spine and hip in the placebo group, there was an increase in BMD in the risedronate group. On treatment withdrawal, bone loss ensued, which suggests that treatment needs to be continuous to maintain a protective effect on bone mass. At 2 years, the mean difference (+/- SEM) between groups was 2.5% +/- 1.2%, (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.2 to 4.9) at the lumbar spine (P = .041) and 2.6% +/- 1.1%, (95% CI, 0.3 to 4.8) at the femoral neck (P = .029). Similar results were observed at the hip trochanter. Results by stratum indicate a beneficial, although partial, effect of tamoxifen in reducing bone loss. Risedronate was well tolerated and showed a good safety profile, with no evidence of laboratory abnormalities. CONCLUSION Risedronate appears to be a safe treatment that prevents both trabecular and cortical bone loss in women with menopause induced by chemotherapy for breast cancer.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Shanxi Wang ◽  
Shuzhen Li ◽  
Xing Xie ◽  
Juying Xie

Objective. Osteoporosis (OP) is a well-established age-related disease, pathologically characterized by bone microarchitectural deterioration, increased fragility, and low BMD. Primary osteoporosis (POP) is the most common type of OP. Methods. Publications pertaining to the effectiveness of kinesitherapy on BMD in POP from PubMed, SCI, Cochrane Library, Embase, VIP, CNKI, and Wanfang Database were retrieved from their inception to October 2019. Results. A total of 21 studies with 1840 participants were included. The results of the meta-analysis revealed that kinesitherapy plus antiosteoporosis medications had a positive effect on lumbar spine BMD when the duration of intervention was 6 months (MD = 0.11 g/cm2; 95% CI: 0.06–0.15; P<0.0001) or >6 months (MD = 0.04 g/cm2; 95% CI: 0.02–0.06; P<0.0001) compared with antiosteoporosis medications alone. Additional kinesitherapy plus antiosteoporosis medications were associated with improved femoral neck BMD compared with antiosteoporosis medications alone (MD = 0.09 g/cm2; 95% CI: 0.03–0.16; P=0.004). Conclusions. Kinesitherapy plus antiosteoporosis medications significantly improved lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD in the current low-quality evidence. Additional high-quality evidence is required to confirm the effect of kinesitherapy on BMD in patients with POP.


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