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Published on: June 8, 2014
Early life factors in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis
Chivon Winsloe1, Susie Earl, Elaine M Dennison
1Medical Research Council Epidemiology Resource Centre, University of Southampton, School of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD, United Kingdom.
Insights
Early life environmental factors significantly impact peak bone mass, influencing future osteoporosis risk. Understanding these influences can lead to interventions reducing fracture burdens.
Area of Science:
- Bone biology and osteoporosis research.
- Public health and preventative medicine.
Background:
- Osteoporosis poses a significant public health challenge, primarily due to fragility fractures.
- Peak bone mass, achieved in early adulthood, is crucial for predicting future osteoporosis risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how early-life environmental factors influence peak bone mass attainment.
- To investigate the mechanisms underlying these effects and inform public health strategies.
Main Methods:
- Review of current scientific literature on bone mass development.
- Analysis of emerging epigenetic and translational research.
Main Results:
- Environmental exposures during gestation and infancy can permanently alter skeletal growth patterns.
- These modifications affect peak bone mass and subsequent osteoporosis risk.
Conclusions:
- Early life interventions targeting environmental factors show promise for reducing the future burden of osteoporotic fractures.
- Further research into epigenetic mechanisms is key to developing effective public health strategies.
Abstract:
Osteoporosis is a major public health burden through associated fragility fractures. Bone mass, a composite of bone size and volumetric density, increases through early life and childhood to a peak in early adulthood. The peak bone mass attained is a strong predictor of future risk of osteoporosis. Evidence is accruing that environmental factors in utero and in early infancy may permanently modify the postnatal pattern of skeletal growth to peak and thus influence risk of osteoporosis in later life. This article describes the latest data in this exciting area of research, including novel epigenetic and translation work, which should help to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and give rise to potential public health interventions to reduce the burden of osteoporotic fracture in future generations.
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