Endocrine Abstracts

The vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphism, BsmI, has previously been associated with the efficacy of raloxifene therapy. The aim of this study was to examine associations between the BsmI and FokI polymorphisms of the VDR gene and bone density and bone turnover response to raloxifene. One hundred osteopenic postmenopausal women (ages 52 to 80 years, mean 64 years) were prescribed raloxifene (60mg/day) and calcium carbonate (500mg/day) for 48 weeks. Bone density at the lumbar s...

Objectives: This study aimed at determining the age of PBM and the age-specific relationships between calcium intake or serum 25(OH) D and bone mineral density (BMD) in Iranian adolescents.Design and Methods: A group of 187 healthy individuals of age 10-20 years was recruited. Using dual x-ray absorptiometry, areal BMD at femoral neck (aNBMD) and lumbar vertebrae (L2-L4) (aLBMD) were measured. Bone mineral apparent (volumetric) density (gram per cm ...

Previous studies of the injectable contraceptive depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA, Depo-Provera) and bone mineral density have produced differing results; a bone mineral deficit has been demonstrated in studies of the lumbar spine and hip, but not in studies of the forearm. In addition, DMPA users are likely to be smokers, pregnant at a young age, and not educated beyond high school level, which could contribute to the observed bone density deficit.<p class="abstext...

Many risk factors predict fractures overall, but other factors may be associated with the incidence of vertebral fractures in particular. We carried out a 10-year prospective study of a population-based group of women, ages 50 to 85 years. At baseline we measured bone mineral density (BMD) and collected fasting blood samples for biochemical measurements including serum calcium, alkaline phosphatase, parathyroid hormone, creatinine, phosphate, albumin and thyroid hormones. Medi...

Background: Statins are widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs. They inhibit cholesterol synthesis through inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase. They have also been recently identified as bone stimulatory agents (Mundy et al., 1999). They have been found to increase the expression of BMP-2 that triggers a cascade of events leading to increased bone formation. However, the exact mechanism for the stimulatory action of statins is not fully elucidat...