Authors:
- Lućana Zec – University of Rijeka, Faculty of Health Studies, Rijeka, Croatia
- Gordana Starčević Klasan – University of Rijeka, Faculty of Health Studies, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Rijeka, Croatia
Article type:
Original Scientific Paper
Abstract:
Introduction
Menopause is a period marked by major changes in women, manifested by a decrease in bone mineral density, deoxypyridinoline, vitamin D, and alkaline phosphatase levels. Therefore, the main objectives of this research were to determine whether there is a difference in bone mineral density in women who have been in menopause for less than 5 years and in women who have been in menopause for more than 5 years, and to compare biochemical indicators of bone remodeling in both groups.
Participants and Methods
The study included 37 women divided into a group of women who have been in menopause for less than 5 years (N=13) and a group of women who have been in menopause for more than 5 years (N=24). Serum alkaline phosphatase and vitamin D, and urinary deoxypyridinoline were measured. In addition, all women underwent bone density measurement of the lumbar spine and femoral neck using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.
Results
Results showed that there was a statistically significant decrease in the level of deoxypyridinoline in urine, while the values of vitamin D and alkaline phosphatase obtained from blood samples did not differ significantly between the two groups. Bone mineral density values for the lumbar spine and left femur were significantly lower in the group of women who have been in menopause for more than 5 years.
Conclusion
The results showed that biochemical indicators of bone remodeling increased in the first five years after menopause, and determining these parameters in blood and urine could be an effective method for identifying patients with rapid bone remodeling after the onset of menopause.
Keywords:
alkaline phosphatase, deoxypyridinoline, bone density, menopause, osteoporosis.