VERTEBRAL BONE LOSS IN PERIMENOPAUSAL WOM EN - RESULTS OF A 7-YEAR LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

Citation
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
Citations number
32
Categorie Soggetti
Medicine, General & Internal
Journal title
ISSN journal
07554982
Volume
25
Issue
7
Year of publication
1996
Pages
277 - 280
Database
ISI
SICI code
0755-4982(1996)25:7<277:VBLIPW>2.0.ZU;2-L
Abstract
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.