Relationship between fasting serum glucose, age, body mass index and serum 25 hydroxyvitamin D in postmenopausal women

The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.comObjective: Because it has been reported that vitamin D, given to mother or infant, can prevent type I diabetes in children, that diabetes is more common in adults with low serum vitamin D and that insulin secretion and action are related to vitamin D levels in healthy young adults we examined the relationship between serum vitamin D metabolites and fasting serum glucose in patients attending our outpatient clinics. Design: Retrospective examination of convenience sample of postmenopausal women attending our osteoporosis clinics. Patients: A total of 753 postmenopausal women attending a university hospital outpatient clinic and not on any treatment known to affect glucose metabolism. Measurements: Body weight and height, serum 25- hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH) 2 D], serum PTH and fasting serum glucose. Results: On simple correlation fasting serum glucose was a positive function of age (P < 0·05), weight (P < 0·001) and body mass index (BMI) (P < 0·001) and a negative function of serum 25(OH)D (P < 0·001), but it was not significantly related to either serum 1,25(OH) 2 D, PTH or creatinine. When fasting serum glucose was regressed simultaneously on age, BMI and 25(OH)D, glucose was still an inverse function of 25(OH)D (P = 0·006). Conclusions: Fasting serum glucose increased as 25(OH)D levels fell throughout the range of serum 25(OH)D measured but the greatest increase was observed in those with 25(OH)D below 40 nmol/ l.Allan G. Need, Peter D. O’Loughlin, Michael Horowitz and B. E. Christopher Nordi

Bone density and bone-related biochemical variables in normal men: a longitudinal study

Background. The objective of this study was to determine the pattern of forearm bone loss and its relationship to markers of bone turnover and sex steroids in normal men. This was a longitudinal study over a median interval of 41 months. The study was conducted in Adelaide, Australia. Study participants were 123 healthy male subjects, between the ages of 20 and 83 years. Methods. Fat-corrected forearm bone mineral content (fcBMC), markers of bone formation (alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, procollagen type 1 C-terminal extension peptide) and bone resorption (collagen type I cross-linked telopeptide, hydroxyproline/creatinine, pyridinoline/creatinine, and deoxypyridinoline/creatinine), calculated serum bioavailable testosterone, and serum estradiol were measured. Results. The mean time-weighted rate of change in forearm fcBMC was −0.33% ± 0.72 (SD) per year. Bone loss commenced after 30 years of age and increased with age (p < .001), particularly after age 70 years. There was no relationship between the rate of change in fcBMC and either markers of bone turnover or serum sex steroids. Conclusions. In normal men, bone loss increases with age; there does not appear to be any relationship between this loss and either markers of bone turnover or levels of free androgen or estrogen.F. Scopacasa, J.M. Wishart, A.G. Need, M. Horowitz, H.A. Morris and B.E.C. Nordi