Low bone density for female diabetes patients

BMD (Bone Mineral Density) has implications for the health of the body. Not only does having a low BMD mean weaker bones more prone to break or fracture, it may also be related to cardiovascular disease. A recent study has found that woman with type 1 diabetes at a pre-menopausal stage, are more likely to have a lower BMD than non-diabetic patients of a similar age.
The study was conducted at the University of Pittsburgh, and found that BMD amongst pre-menopausal women with type 1 diabetes was between 3 and 8 percent lower. Basing their hypothesis on previous studies that indicate older type 1 females are more prone to bone break, the study team forecast that BMD would also be lower in younger women.
To assess the validity of their hypothesis, the team collected data from 67 female type 1 diabetics aged between 35 and 55, and compared it with data from 237 non-diabetic female patients who also had fractures and were of a similar type. The diabetic women were found to have lower BMD all over the body. Diabetic women were also more likely to have had a fracture after age 20.
Side-effects of the diabetic condition may influence bone density. The results of the study will be published in the journal Diabetes Care.