ARE MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH BONE-MINERAL DENSITY AND CHANGES IN BONE-MINERAL DENSITY IN PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Background: The relationship between menopausal symptoms and bone mine ral density (BMD) was examined in 290 premenopausal women, ages 44-50 years, participating in a randomized clinical trial of a dietary and e xercise intervention: The Women's Healthy Lifestyle Project. Methods: Information on hot flashes (presence, absence), menstrual cycles (irre gular, regular) and menstrual flow per period (variable, same) over th e past 6 months was collected at entry. Participants reporting at leas t one menopausal symptom were classified as symptomatic and compared t o those having no symptoms. Bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar s pine (L1-L4), total hip and whole-body were made at baseline and at 30 months using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometer (Hologic QDR 2000 den sitometer). Results: Baseline BMD at the spine, hip and whole-body wer e significantly reduced in women reporting menopausal symptoms compare d to asymptomatic women. after adjustment for age. weight and interven tion status (all p < 0.05). Women with irregular menstrual cycles had greater annualized rates of bone loss at the spine and hip than asympt omatic women (spine. -0.77 (1.6)% per year vs. -0.19 (1.0)% per year, p = 0.0043; hip, -0.37 (1.1)% per year vs. -0.04 (1.0)% per year, p = 0.061), after adjustments for age, percent change in weight, intervent ion status, and baseline BMD. Similar findings were not found for whol e-body BMD. Conclusions: These results suggest that menopausal symptom s are useful for the effective identification of premenopausal women a t higher risk of low BMD and perhaps, of osteoporosis. (C) 1998 Elsevi er Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.