BoneKEy Reports | BoneKEy Watch
Reduced bone remodeling in Type 1 Diabetes may increase fracture risk
DOI:10.1038/bonekey.2012.68
People with Type 1 Diabetes have an increased fracture risk, but the reasons for this at the level of bone microarchitecture or bone remodeling have not been investigated in detail. Armas et al. studied iliac biopsies from 18 people with Type 1 Diabetes and compared the properties of their bone with healthy controls who were matched for age and sex.
Structural histomorphometry and micro-CT techniques revealed no significant differences between the two groups in terms of their bone volume, wall thickness, trabecular measures of thickness or osteoid thickness or bone density. Five of the patients with Type 1 Diabetes had a history of fractures and this subgroup did show evidence of lower rates of bone remodeling, compared to both controls and to people with Type 1 Diabetes without any history of fractures. This suggests that diabetes may result in changes in the quality rather than the quantity of bone.
Editor's comment: Osteoporosis (low bone mass and architectural deterioration) is not the only cause of increased fracture risk. Ergo, not everyone who has a fracture has osteoporosis or may benefit from osteoporosis treatments. The impact of diabetes on bone remodeling warrants further investigation.
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