“The Times of India” - Women with osteoporosis suffer early menopausev
March 31, 2011
A study conducted at the University of Granada says that women with osteoporosis in their hip suffer menopause two years earlier than healthy women.
Additionally, researchers have found at least three genetic markers associated with osteoporosis in the hip in postmenopausal women.
Osteoporosis in the hip increases the risk of suffering fractures, which is extremely disabling for the patient, and represents a high cost for the health public system.
The aim of this research study was to understand the factors that increase the risk of developing osteoporosis. As a starting point, researchers took the relevance of genes in this disease, since 80 per cent of bone formation is genetically determined.
For the purpose of this study, authors conducted a multi-center study involving five Spanish clinics. A sample of 2,000 patients was taken from the gynecology services of the participating clinics.
Detailed medical records were prepared of each patient including those risk factors known to intervene in osteoporosis of the hip. In addition, other factors that have not still been proved to intervene in osteoporosis -as the Mediterranean diet- were also studied.
Blood collections were made to analyse genetic markers, and a densitometry was done to study bone mineral density in spine and hip.
