Endocrine Abstracts

Background: There are no data concerning a relationship between alcohol and bone status of elderly Spanish men. Previous studies in other countries on the influence of alcohol intake on bone mineral density (BMD) in men are inconsistent and the effect of these variables on BMD is yet to be explored.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the associations between total and beverage-specific alcohol intake and both BMD and bone ultrasound in elderly Spanish men.

Research methods and procedures: A cross-sectional study of 250 healthy elderly men (>65 years) was undertaken. BMD was measured by DXA. Bone ultrasound was also performed and amplitude-dependent speed of sound (Ad-SoS) in the phalanges and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) in the calcaneus were also determined. Lifestyle variables were collected through a structured questionnaire.

Results: Participants with a moderate intake of alcohol (20 g/day) had both a significantly higher BMD at femur (P=0.0098) and Ad-SoS (P=0.0016) compared to non-alcohol consumers. The intake of alcohol (g/day) significantly and positively correlated with BMD (r=0.199; P=0.0051) and Ad-SoS (r=0.193; P=0.0096) but not with BUA (P>0.05). The intake of beer (g/day) also positively correlated with BMD (r=0.148; P=0.0392) and BUA (r=0.153; P=0.0428) but not with Ad-SoS parameter (P>0.05). Wine intake (g/day) significantly correlated with BMD (r=0.164; P=0.0209) and Ad-SoS (r=0.176; P=0.0178) but not with BUA (P>0.05).

Conclusions: In elderly healthy Spanish men with well-defined lifestyle conditions, alcohol consumption was associated with higher femoral BMD, and bone ultrasound. The effect of alcohol is complex and will need further studies to clarify its role in bone metabolism.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.