title: Bone mineral density and hormone levels in menopausal Australian women.
abstract: To assess the relationships between bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine and femoral neck and menopausal status, age, physical variables, and lifestyle and gynecological factors. BMD and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol and inhibin levels were measured in 167 women born in Australia, aged 46-57 years, who had no record of receiving hormone replacement therapy. Using the premenopausal group as a baseline, the FSH level was higher in peri- and postmenopausal subjects (p < 0.0005), and estradiol and inhibin levels in the postmenopausal women were lower (p < 0.0005). Mean (+/- SE) lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD were 15 +/- 3% and 10 +/- 3% lower, respectively, in postmenopausal than in premenopausal women. Lumbar spine BMD decreased with increasing age in perimenopausal women only (p < 0.005), and femoral neck BMD decreased with increasing age in the pre-, peri-(p < 0.05) and postmenopausal women. The difference between femoral neck BMD in the pre- and postmenopausal women was explained by the difference in age between these groups, whereas for lumbar spine BMD the menopausal status was an additional determining factor. There was a negative effect of smoking on femoral neck BMD (p < 0.05) in postmenopausal women. In the perimenopausal decade the femoral neck BMD is primarily dependent on age, whereas lumbar spine BMD is dependent on both age and menopausal status.
authors.affiliation: Key Centre for Women's Health in Society, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Guthrie
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Ebeling
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hopper
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dennerstein
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Wark
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Burger
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D001315:Australia; D015519:Bone Density; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005272:Femur Neck; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007265:Inhibins / Q000097:blood; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D004958:Estradiol; D007265:Inhibins; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone