Metabolic markers for the early diagnosis of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

We performed a cross-sectional study in 147 women, 41 in premenopausal age and 106 in menopause for 1-5 years: bone mineral density (BMD) at the distal radius and annual bone loss (as shown by plasma alkaline phosphatase and osteocalcin levels, and by calcium/creatinine and hydroxyproline/creatinine in the second urine of the morning) were evaluated. A significant reduction of BMD with a significant increase of bone loss was observed with increasing duration of menopause. Furthermore, when the women were subdivided into two groups according to annual bone loss (over or under 1.7%), significant differences were found between bone mineral density in the second and third years of menopause. As this is a cross-sectional and not a longitudinal study, it confirms that, in the presence of a higher bone loss, the BMD levels are lower and consequently the theoretical definition of this parameter can allow useful information on the presumable behavior of BMD.