Factors Affecting Bone Loss over a 5-year Period in the Lumbar Spine of Menopausal Japanese Women

The aim of this study was to clarify the factors affecting vertebral bone loss in healthy women classified according to menopausal condition. The subjects were 287 healthy Japanese women aged between 40 and 60 years living in an urban community. Lumbar spine bone mineral density was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry twice at the baseline and at the end of a 5-year period. The subjects were divided into 3 groups according to menstrual status and time after menopause (pre-menopause: PRE, 0-3 years post-menopause: PEROI, and 4 years or more post-menopause: POST), and the relationships between the rate of bone loss over 5 years and physical and lifestyle factors were examined among the 3 groups. These longitudinal data indicated that the factors affecting vertebral bone loss differed according to menopausal condition. It was suggested that lifestyle modification to prevent osteoporosis in middle-aged and older women should be considered according to menopausal condition.