title: Cross sectional and longitudinal study of bone mineral content of the distal forearm in adult premenopausal women.
abstract: The range of fat corrected distal forearm mineral content (FMC) (at a site which comprises approximately 75% cortical and 25% trabecular bone) and the effect of aging on FMC were determined in normal premenopausal women. In 106 women (mean age 39; range 18-56) the mean FMC was 1.184 (SD 148) g/cm; fat correction increased this to 1.239 (SD 148) g/cm. There were significant correlations between fat corrected FMC and height, weight and BMI (r greater than 0.16; P less than 0.05). In 43 of these women (mean age 35; range 18-51) repeat measurements of FMC were performed. The last measurement was separated from the first by a mean time interval of 27 +/- 3 months. There was no significant change in uncorrected FMC (baseline 1.185 +/- 0.21 g/cm compared with their final measurement 1.182 +/- .020 g/cm; P = 0.51). Fat-corrected FMC (baseline 1.229 +/- .021 g/cm compared with 1.223 +/- .020 g/cm later) tended to decrease although this change was not significant (P = 0.06). Age ranked cusum analysis demonstrated a non-significant fat-corrected rate of change in FMC of -.3% yr in those over 35 years of age (P less than 0.10). This data suggests that if there is any distal forearm bone loss before the menopause it is negligible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wishart
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Horowitz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cochran
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Need
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Chatterton
authors.forename: B E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Nordin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008903:Minerals