Bone density lower in premenopausal women with T1D

Premenopausal women with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and heightened bone resorption, a new study has found.

Sixty-two women with T1D (mean age, 47.2±17.3 years) participated in the study. Heel BMD in the calcaneus was measured using ultrasonography, while activity of the bone resorption marker tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRACP-5b) was quantified using an immunocapture enzymatic assay. A parallel group of 62 matched controls was also included.

Heel BMD z-score was significantly lower among T1D women than controls (–0.03±0.88 vs 0.32±0.10; p<0.05). Stratified analysis revealed that this difference was significant only in premenopausal (–0.08±0.85 vs 0.53±1.19; p<0.05), but not in postmenopausal (0.03±0.94 vs 0.07±0.65) women.

Levels of serum whole parathyroid hormone (wPTH) were likewise lowered in T1D women, an effect consistent across subgroups of menopause status.

On the other hand, TRACP-5b was significantly elevated in premenopausal women with T1D relative to controls (273.2±136.6 vs 215.2±89.0 mU/dL; p<0.05); no such effect was reported for postmenopausal women or for the entire cohort.

“The findings in the study indicated that low peak bone mass in premenopausal women with T1D evaluated by a heel ultrasound might be a risk factor for postmenopausal osteoporosis,” the researchers said.

“Elevated levels of TRACP-5b, a well-defined biomarker of bone resorption and osteoclast number, and lowered a level of wPTH, which maintains calcium homeostasis, might explain the mechanism underlying lower heel BMD in premenopausal women with T1D,” they added.