BIOCHEMICAL PROFILE OF OSTEOPOROTIC PATIENTS ON ESSENTIAL FATTY-ACID SUPPLEMENTATION

Osteoporosis is the most frequent metabolic bone disorder in developed communities. No single mechanism can adequately explain the pathophys iology of osteoporosis. Recently new biochemical markers for metabolic bone disease, such as osteocalcin and procollagen have been identifie d and these parameters have been proven to be indicative of bone turno ver. In this study, markers of bone turnover were monitored in 40 oste oporotic patients. Patients were divided into four groups to receive o ne of the following dietary supplements: evening primrose oil; fish oi l; a mixture of evening primrose and fish oil or olive oil (placebo), for 16 weeks. Patients supplemented with fish oil showed an increase i n serum calcium and an increase in urinary calcium clearance (p< 0.05) . Osteocalcin as well as procollagen increased in the fish oil and the fish oil/evening primrose oil supplemented groups (p<0.05). Increased unsaturation of membranes seems to improve calcium absorption while c hanges in biochemical bone parameters is indicative of stimulation of osteoblastic activity.