Young alcoholic men 'have increased osteoporosis risk'
Young male alcoholics have an increased risk of osteoporosis, a new study in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research has suggested.
Scientists from the Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria, studied the bone mineral density of 37 alcoholic males and 20 female alcoholics.
Ages of the participants ranged from 27 to 50 years, and all participants were in a rehabilitation programme and were not drinking at the time of the study.
Before entering rehabilitation, the men drank an average of 22 drinks per day while women drank 18 a day. Most of the study participants smoked.
Results showed that one fourth of the men had lower bone mineral density than was expected for their age, while only five per cent of the women had low bone mass.
"Our study indicates malnutrition, little exercise, social withdrawal or little exposure to sunlight can contribute to osteoporosis in young alcohol-dependent patients," said lead researcher Dr Peter Malik.
However, the results also showed that osteoporosis is partially reversible once people stop drinking, indicated by an above-normal level of osteocalcin, a bone formation marker, in 38 per cent of men and 30 per cent of women.
A spokeswoman for the Arthritis Research Campaign said heavy drinking and heavy smoking were both recognised risk factors for developing osteoporosis, along with poor diet and lack of exercise.
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