Biochemical markers of bone turnover do not decline after menopause in healthy women

Objectives To investigate the duration of high bone turnover after menopaus e in normal healthy women. Design Setting Study recruited from three screening studies for health care in the elderly held in the area of Hamamatsu city. Setting Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hospital at Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu. Participants Ninety-two healthy postmenopausal women aged 47-81 years and 1 8 premenopausal women. Main outcome measures Bone mass was determined by densitometry of the spine and the os calcis, or by ultrasound of the os calcis. Biochemical markers of bone turnover were measured including total and bone-specific allcaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, C-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen, free deoxypyridinoline and urinary degredation products of type I collagen. Results All markers except the C-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen were significantly higher in early postmenopausal women than in premenopaus al women. Postmenopausal women were divided into four groups according to y ears since menopause. There was no difference in biochemical markers among those women in whom years since menopause were 1 to 5, 6 to 15, 16 to 25 an d >26. There were no correlations between biochemical markers and age in po stmenopausal women. When the postmenopausal women were divided into three g roups according to t-scores of bone mass, there was no significant differen ce in the biochemical markers among the groups. Conclusions High bone turnover occurin(g) after menopause lasts for >25 yea rs during the postmenopausal period.