BONE MASS AND GLUCOSE-HOMEOSTASIS IN SUBJ ECTS WITH HIGH SPONTANEOUS FLUORIDE INTAKE

This paper reports metabolic data of 24 women and two men, 44-66 years old, ex-residents in an area of endemic fluorosis close to Bahia Blan ca city. Fasting fluoremias of these subjects (0,5 to 9,2 mu M) and da ily urinary fluoride excretion (> 60 mu moles/day) are characteristics of zones with endemic fluorosis. Bone mineral density (BMD) at the lu mbar spine (L2-4 1330 +/- 41 mg/cm(2)) and femoral neck (1045 +/- 10 m g/cm(2)) were significantly above average of normal subjects of the sa me age and sex. A significant correlation was observed between the dai ly excretion of fluoride and BMD L2-4 (r = 0.43, P < 0.05). The Area U nder the Curve of insulin during a standard glucose tolerance test sho wed an inverse relationship with fluoremia. This observation coincides with experiments published elsewhere indicating that fluoride intake at concentrations 5 CIM or greater, inhibits the secretion of insulin.