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Research Article Free access | 10.1172/JCI118382

Sex steroids, bone mass, and bone loss. A prospective study of pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal women.

C Slemenda, C Longcope, M Peacock, S Hui, and C C Johnston

Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46202, USA.

Find articles by Slemenda, C. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46202, USA.

Find articles by Longcope, C. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46202, USA.

Find articles by Peacock, M. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46202, USA.

Find articles by Hui, S. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis 46202, USA.

Find articles by Johnston, C. in: PubMed | Google Scholar

Published January 1, 1996 - More info

Published in Volume 97, Issue 1 on January 1, 1996
J Clin Invest. 1996;97(1):14–21. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI118382.
© 1996 The American Society for Clinical Investigation
Published January 1, 1996 - Version history
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Abstract

Although bone loss around the time of menopause is driven by estrogen deficiency, the roles of estrogens and androgens in the preservation of skeletal mass at other stages of life are less well understood. To address this issue we studied 231 women between the ages of 32 and 77 with multiple measurements of sex steroids and bone mass over a period of 2-8 yr. In all women bone mass was negatively associated with concentrations of sex-hormone binding globulin, and positively associated with weight. Bone loss occurred from all skeletal sites in peri- and postmenopausal women, but premenopausal women lost bone only from the hip (-0.3%/yr) and had positive rates of change in the radius and spine. Bone loss was significantly associated with lower androgen concentrations in premenopausal women, and with lower estrogens and androgens in peri- and postmenopausal women. Sex steroids are important for the maintenance of skeletal integrity before menopause, and for as long as 20-25 yr afterwards.

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  • Version 1 (January 1, 1996): No description

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