Early menopause 'not a risk factor' for osteoporosis

The belief that women who suffer from an early menopause are more at risk of hip fractures has been debunked by a new study.

The National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University has discovered that age is the main risk factor for the fractures, rather than bone density weakening - or osteoporosis - associated with the menopause.

The study, led by Associate Professor Emily Banks, was conducted to discover whether the long-held clinical assumption that women affected by premature menopause are at particularly high risk of hip fractures.

Around one per cent of women under the age of 40 in the UK go through the menopause, a figure that declines to 0.1 per cent for those under the age of 20. The average age for women in the UK to experience the 'change of life' is 52 years old.

Researchers used data from the UK's Million Women Study, which investigated reproductive and lifestyle factors affecting health with 1.3 million women aged between 50 and 64 over a five-year period.

The findings, published in the Public Library of Science Medicine, discovered that the link between the menopause and a fall in bone density is overstated with patients undergoing early menopause.

Dr Banks underlined the importance of this study, which may affect the type of advice offered by doctors.

She said: "The results suggest that clinicians advising women about hip fracture prevention should probably base their advice on the woman's age and on age-related factors such as frailty, rather than on factors related to menopause."

Dr Banks suggested that this is essential as one-fifth of all elderly people who break a hip die within one year.

Three-quarters of all hip fractures occur in women as they lose bone density more quickly than men.

A spokeswoman for the Arthritis Research Campaign described the study's results as of considerable interest. "Both doctors and patients need to be more aware of the possible risks of osteoporosis in older women, as many preventative treatments are available," she said.

© Adfero Ltd

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