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Change in bone mass immediately before menopause.
R R Recker1, J M Lappe, K M Davies
1Department of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska.
Summary
Bone density changes in premenopausal women aged 46+ are minimal, with annual bone loss less than 1% for the spine and slightly more for the forearm and total skeleton.
Area of Science:
- Osteoporosis research
- Menopause transition
- Bone mineral density
Background:
- Healthy women nearing menopause are at a critical stage for bone health assessment.
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2) levels are key indicators during this transition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To longitudinally assess bone mass and bone cell function in healthy women approaching menopause.
- To determine the annual rate of change in bone mineral density (BMD) at various skeletal sites.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal study of 75 healthy women (≥46 years, menstruating, premenopausal FSH/E2 levels).
- Bone density measurements (spine, total-body, forearm) taken at 6-month intervals over ~2 years.
- Annual rates of change calculated using regression analysis, with and without weighting for observation length.
Main Results:
- No statistically significant annual change in bone mass was detected at any measured site (spine, forearm, total body).
- The study had sufficient power to detect annual changes as low as 0.81% (spine) to 1.55% (forearm).
- Weighted and unweighted results showed no meaningful differences.
Conclusions:
- Bone mineral changes in women around age 46 and still menstruating are substantially less than 1% per year for the spine.
- Forearm and total skeleton bone loss, if occurring, is also minimal, not significantly exceeding 1% annually.