The Relationship Between Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus And Bone Density In Postmenopausal Women

This study was carried out to determine the im-portance of type 2 Diabetes mellitus as a risk fac-tor for osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Materials and Methods: This study was con-ducted in 2004 on 40 diabetic and 40 healthy postmenopausal women attending the endocrine clinics in Zanjan. These two groups were matched in terms of age, length of their meno-pausal period and body mass index. Serum cal-cium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase and es-tradiol were measured in all cases and bone den-sities at three sites (Femoral neck, lumbar spine and forearm) were evaluated with dual X-ray ab-sorptiometry (DXA). All data were analyzed us-ing t-test, analysis of variance, chi-square and multiple regression tests. Results: The frequency of osteoporosis and os-teopenia in diabetic women were not signifi-cantly different from non-diabetics. The mean bone density in the femoral neck was higher in the diabetic group (0.806±0.13 gr/cm2 vs 0.726 ± 0.15 gr/cm2), (p: 0.002). In the diabetic group there was a negative correlation between bone density and length of menopause in the femoral neck (r:-0.49, p:0.004), lumbar spine (r:-0.58, p: 0.005) and mid radius (r:-0.37, p: 0.03). The rela-tionship between BMI and bone density was significant in the femoral neck (r: 0.55, p: 0.01) in diabetic women. In diabetic women, the higher the HbA1c the lower the bone density in lumbar spine. Conclusion: Although the level of HbA1c as a marker of blood glucose control has a relation-ship with lumbar spine density in diabetics, dia-betes type 2 is not a risk factor for osteoporosis. Hence measures should be taken individually similar to non diabetic patients, for screening, diagnosis and management of osteoporosis in diabetes type 2.