title: Postmenopausal bone loss in Japanese women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our purpose was to detect anatomic variations in postmenopausal bone loss and to determine the risk factors most affecting bone mass in Japanese women.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred sixty-six Japanese women (54 premenopausal and 112 postmenopausal), aged 40-68 years, were enrolled in the study. Bone mineral densities (BMD) of the lumbar spine (L2-4) and total body were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry and the results were subjected to statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the various sites studied, the lumbar spine (L2-4) showed the fastest bone loss after menopause. Multiple regression analysis indicated that two factors, number of years since the menopause and body mass index (BMI), affected lumbar spine (L2-4) BMD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Measurement of lumbar spine (L2-4) BMD is suitable for evaluating postmenopausal osteoporosis. The risk factors for postmenopausal bone loss were a long period after menopause and a low BMI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ino
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asada
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kikkawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomoda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015519:Bone Density; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012307:Risk Factors