Variation in bone mineral density in adults in Poland: age and sex differences

The decline of mineral bone density with age can lead in more extreme cases to osteopenia and osteoporosis, and is therefore one of the aspects of age ing with great medical and social significance. With this idea in mind a st udy of age changes in the trabecular and, separately, the cortical bone den sity of the radius was carried out in 1218 females and 405 males, aged 22 t o 60 years, all occupationally active inhabitants of the city of Wroclaw, P oland. The technique used was the peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomograp hy (pQCT). It was found that in females bone densities remain relatively st able throughout the period between 22 and 40 years. They then begin to decl ine slowly, with a rapid decline after the age of 55. A distinctly differen t pattern was found among males, with bone densities reaching peak values, markedly higher than those in females, in the third decade of life. After t his age the bone density values begin to decline at a rapid rate, so that b y the age of 60 years mean trabecular and cortical densities in males have decreased to levels almost equivalent to females of equal age. In view of t he small size of the male samples, especially in the older age classes, the above results should be treated with caution and confirmed using larger sa mples.