Moderate alcohol consumption may reduce fracture risk in postmenopausal women

A new fracture-preventative medication comes in the form of a cocktail or a glass of wine, reports a new study. Researchers at the School of Biological and Population Health Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, published their findings online on July 9 in the journal Menopause. According to UCLA Health System, one out of five American women over the age of 50 have osteoporosis; furthermore,about half of all women over the age of 50 will have a fracture of the hip, wrist, or vertebra (bones of the spine).

The researchers noted that epidemiological studies have reported that higher bone mass is associated with moderate alcohol consumption in postmenopausal women. However, the underlying cellular mechanisms responsible for the beneficial effects of alcohol on bone are unknown. They note that excessive bone turnover, combined with an imbalance whereby bone resorption exceeds bone formation, is the principal cause of postmenopausal bone loss. In view of this effect of alcohol, the researchers investigated the hypothesis that moderate alcohol intake decreases bone turnover after menopause.

The study group was comprised of 40 postmenopausal women (average age: 56 years). During the week before the onset of the study, the women drank their normal amounts (average: 1.4 drinks/day) of alcohol and kept a diary. For the 14-day intervention period, the women abstained from drinking any alcohol. On day 15, the researchers gave a measured amount of alcohol, based on the women's previous drinking patterns, for them to drink. To assess whether alcohol consumption affected bone turnover, the investigators drew blood samples from the women before, during, and after the intervention. to assess whether alcohol consumption affected bone turnover. Bone mineral density was determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Serum levels of the bone formation marker osteocalcin and the resorption marker C-terminal telopeptide (CTx) were measured by immunoassay at baseline (day 0) and after alcohol withdrawal for 14 days. The women then consumed alcohol and were assayed on the following morning.

Check this Article: Penile Implant Surgery in India

The researchers found that bone mineral density at the trochanter (upper tip of the thigh bone) and total hip were positively correlated to the level of alcohol consumption. Compared with baseline levels, serum osteocalcin (4.1 +/- 1.6%) and CTx (5.8 +/- 2.6%) increased after abstinence. Compared to the previous day, osteocalcin (-3.4 +/- 1.4%) and CTx (-3.5 +/- 2.1%) decreased after alcohol readministration to values that did not differ from baseline.

The authors concluded that abstinence from alcohol results in increased markers of bone turnover, whereas resumption of alcohol reduces bone turnover markers. They noted that their results suggest a cellular mechanism for the increased bone density observed in postmenopausal moderate alcohol consumers. They wrote: “Specifically, the inhibitory effect of alcohol on bone turnover attenuates the detrimental skeletal consequences of excessive bone turnover associated with menopause.”

Take home message:

This is another study that notes that moderate alcohol consumption may have certain beneficial effects on one’s health. The key, however, is moderate alcohol consumption. Excess alcohol can have deleterious effects, including the risk of a full, which can result in a hip fracture.

Source: http://m.edtreatmentindia.com/