Bone mineral density in a cohort of Estonian women with major depression

The study examines bone mineral density in 50 women (29 to 70 years) treated as outpatients for major depression and a healthy comparison group of 30 women. Women with major depression had lower T scores and Z scores at the lumbar spine but not at the femur.

The purpose of this study was to replicate the finding that women with depression have low bone mineral density (BMD) in an eastern European country.

A total of 50 women (29 to 70 years) treated as outpatients for major depression and a healthy comparison group of 30 women were included. Diagnosis was confirmed using the MINI interview. Bone density was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Women with major depression had lower T scores and Z scores at the lumbar spine but not at the femur. Apart from age, there was no significant covariate that affected the difference between the groups. The concentration of β-Crosslaps, a marker of bone metabolism, tended to be higher in women with depression.

Women with depression have low BMD at the lumbar spine. The distinguishing characteristic of the study is that the finding could be replicated in an eastern European population of middle-aged to elderly patients who were not hospitalized and had relatively high levels of physical activity and low levels of alcohol use and smoking.