Ageing of Bone Structure and the Risk of Osteoporosis in the Menopausal Transition

Purpose: The purpose of the research was to study the relationship between menopausal status and bone structure during the menopausal transition. Methods: A random sample of 1932 Hungarian women was enrolled in the study. Bone mass was estimated by the Drinkwater-Ross method. Bone structure parameters were assessed by a quantitative ultrasound (QUS) device. High and very high risk of osteoporosis was identified by using the thresholds of QUS parameters. Results: By considering the changes in QUS parameters and bone mass by age and reproductive age an intensive, menopause-related change from the late 40s and then another significant change from the beginning of the 70s were observed in bone. The bone mass decreased while the porosity of the bone component of the female body decreased by age and by menopausal status. On average 1517% of women are at very high risk of developing osteoporosis in the premenopausal status and after the menopausal transition the decreased level of female sex hormone production doubles this risk of osteoporosis from the beginning of the postreproductive period, triples this risk for women in the seventies. Conclusion: The results emphasize the importance of menopausal status assessment in screening for age-related increase risk of osteoporosis.