Jm. Pouilles et al., VERTEBRAL BONE LOSS IN PERIMENOPAUSAL WOM EN - RESULTS OF A 7-YEAR LONGITUDINAL-STUDY, La Presse medicale, 25(7), 1996, pp. 277-280
Objectives: Rapid bone loss after menopause is generally recognized al
though the exact chronology of the events, particularly in relation to
onset of amenorrhea, remains poorly understood, We assessed bone loss
in perimenopausal women over a 7-year period. Methods: Twenty-one wom
en with an uneventful past history were enrolled before menopause and
followed until menopause had been completely established. Vertebral bo
ne density was measured by biphotonic absorptiometry annually over two
2-year periods. Individual variations in bone density were calculated
according to onset of menopause. Results: Bone loss in the vertebral
body increased during the two years preceding menopause (-1.6+/-1.5% p
er year), reached a peak during the first three post-menopausal years
(-2.4 +/- 1.6% per year), and then fell off (-1.2 +/- 1.4% per year).
Conclusion: Bone loss was independent of calcium intake and appeared t
o be related mainly to characteristic hormone changes during the perim
enopausal period, These findings raise the question as to the need and
means of prevention.