Biochemical markers of bone turnover do not decline after menopause in healthy women.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the duration of high bone turnover after menopause in normal healthy women.


METHODS
Study recruited from three screening studies for health care in the elderly held in the area of Hamamatsu city.


METHODS
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hospital at Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu.


METHODS
Ninety-two healthy postmenopausal women aged 47-81 years and 18 premenopausal women.


METHODS
Bone mass was determined by densitometry of the spine and the os calcis, or by ultrasound of the os calcis. Biochemical markers of bone turnover were measured including total and bone-specific alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, C-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen, free deoxypyridinoline and urinary degredation products of type I collagen.


RESULTS
All markers except the C-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen were significantly higher in early postmenopausal women than in premenopausal women. Postmenopausal women were divided into four groups according to years since menopause. There was no difference in biochemical markers among those women in whom years since menopause were 1 to 5, 6 to 15, 16 to 25 and >26. There were no correlations between biochemical markers and age in postmenopausal women. When the postmenopausal women were divided into three groups according to t-scores of bone mass, there was no significant difference in the biochemical markers among the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
High bone turnover occuring after menopause lasts for >25 years during the postmenopausal period.
Takahashi
M
M
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Handa, Japan.
Kushida
K
K
Hoshino
H
H
Ohishi
T
T
Inoue
T
T
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers; D001862:Bone Resorption / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D017697:Premenopause; D013997:Time Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography
D015415:Biomarkers