title: Women with primary ovarian insufficiency have lower bone mineral density.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of osteoporosis in a sample of 32 patients with spontaneous primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) in comparison to reference groups of 25 pre- and 55 postmenopausal women. Hip (lumbar) and spinal bone mineral density (BMD) measurements were performed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in the three groups. The median age of POI patients at the time of diagnosis was 35 years (interquartile range: 27-37 years). The mean ± SD age of postmenopausal reference women (52.16 ± 3.65 years) was higher than that of POI (46.28 ± 10.38 years) and premenopausal women (43.96 ± 7.08; P = 0.001) at the time of BMD measurement. Twenty-seven (84.4%) POI women were receiving hormone replacement therapy (HRT) at the time of the study. In the postmenopausal reference group, 30.4% were current users of HRT. Lumbar BMD was significantly lower in the POI group (1.050 ± 0.17 g/cm²) compared to the age-matched premenopausal reference group (1.136 ± 0.12 g/cm²; P = 0.040). Moreover, 22 (68.7%) POI women had low bone density (osteopenia/osteoporosis by World Health Organization criteria) versus 47.3% of the postmenopausal reference group (P = 0.042). In conclusion, the present data indicate that BMD is significantly lower in patients with POI than in age-matched premenopausal women. Also, the prevalence of osteopenia/osteoporosis is higher in POI women than in women after natural menopause. Early medical interventions are necessary to ensure that women with POI will maintain their bonemass.
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Amarante
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Vilodre
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Maturana
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Spritzer
mesh_terms: D015502:Absorptiometry, Photon; D000328:Adult; D015519:Bone Density; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015663:Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D017697:Premenopause / Q000502:physiology; D016649:Primary Ovarian Insufficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology