Effects of age and menopause on vertebral bone density
Abstract
Vertebral bone density was assessed with dual photon absorptiometry in 280 white females, aged 19-87, without symptoms of osteoporosis. Those who had not experienced a menstrual period for at least one year were classified as postmenopausal, and those menstruating normally were deemed premenopausal. The remainder were considered perimenopausal. Regression links were fit: (1) to the entire data set, (2) to two groups by age (less than 50, 50+), (3) to three groups by age (less than 40, 40-54, 55+) and (4) to three groups by menopausal status. Only that regression which considered menopausal status had a significantly better fit than the simple linear model with slopes of +0.04% per year for the premenopausal (ns, different from zero), -1.8% per year for the perimenopausal (P less than 0.05) and -0.6% per year for the postmenopausal (P less than 0.05). These data suggest that the loss of trabecular bone is accelerated around the time of the onset of menopause, and slows somewhat thereafter, although continuing to be significant. However, the findings of this study are based on cross-sectional data, and there remains a need for prospective studies of vertebral bone around the time of menopause.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Development of a crushable foam model for human trabecular bone
- Data-driven motion compensation in HR-pQCT.
- Modeling of structure, quality, and function in the orthodontic patient
- Exploring the mechanism of Heidihuang Pill in the treatment of osteoporosis based on network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation
- Effect of fabric on the accuracy of computed tomography-based finite element analyses of the vertebra
- Use of interventions involving virtual reality tasks during the climacteric: a systematic review
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.