Detrimental Effects of Alcohol on Bone Growth

Heavy drinking during adolescence may have immediate as well as long-term detrimental consequences to bone health. The growing skeleton is especially prone to fracture and alcohol may exacerbate fracture risk. Furthermore, a disproportionate amount of peak bone mass is acquired during adolescence. Alcohol, by decreasing bone formation, may decrease peak bone mass, predisposing the skeleton to early onset osteoporosis. Although it is well known that heavy drinking can have detrimental skeletal effects in adults (Turner 2000), few studies have focused specifically on the skeletal consequences of underage drinking in human subjects, in part, due to the difficulty in performing alcohol intervention studies in underage drinkers. As a result, the significance of alcohol consumption during this interval of rapid bone accretion on skeletal health is largely unknown. Thus, relevant animal models are critical for identifying the effects and mechanisms of action of alcohol on bone metabolism during bone growth. This chapter will focus on the detrimental effects of alcohol on the maturing skeleton using the laboratory rat as a model. We will also present evidence that these effects are mediated, at least in part, by alcohol-induced alterations in energy homeostasis.