Estimation of bone mineral density and its correlations with homocysteine, and various other biochemical bone markers in postmenopausal women

Introduction- Omocysteine (HCY) prevents collagen cross-linking and activates osteoclast function within the bones. Bone mineral density (BMD) may be affected by Hyperhomocysteinemia via Cathepsin K. Aim- To find the correlation of BMD with biochemical bone markers. Methods- BMD was investigated by the DXA scan with the help of the Hologic QDR1000 system. As per WHO guidelines, subjects were divided into three different subsets with; normal bone mass, osteopenia, and osteoporosis. Every subject underwent routine biochemical laboratory investigations, HCY, Vitamin B12, and folic acid levels. Results-Among 355 postmenopausal women, 69% (245) had osteoporosis while 11.27% (40) had normal BMD (mean age, 53 ± 8.35 years) and 19.72% (70) had osteopenia (mean age 52.86 ± 7.93 years). The mean age in the osteoporotic group was 56.49 ± 6.65 years. The mean levels of HCY in the three groups were 15.58± 7.92 μmol/L, 16.13± 7.34μmol/L and 17.05± 5.13μmol/L, respectively. Hip BMD showed a strong inverse correlation with age (r=-0.360, p=0.002), while no significant correlations were found between weight and BMI. PTH was consistently seen to be negatively correlated with BMD at Spine (r=-0.0339, p=0.004), Forearm (r=-0.267, p=0.027), and Hip (r=-0.224, p=0.064). Conclusion- Low BMD is an important problem in postmenopausal female patients. Age and duration of menopause are independent risk predictors for the development of osteoporosis. Vitamin D levels do not predict low BMD in postmenopausal females. Weight is protective for osteoporosis especially at spine and forearm BMD. Vitamin B12 and Hcy levels did not correlate with low BMD.