[Osteoporosis and alcohol intake]

Abstract

Current understanding suggests that moderate quantities of alcohol use may have beneficial effects on bone mineral density, irrespective of age and sex, and would not be a risk factor of osteoporotic fracture. Heavy alcohol intake or alcoholism, however, frequently disrupts calcium and bone homeostasis, which leads to reduce bone mineral density and increase the incidence of fragility fracture. Since the habits of alcohol intake is closely associated with other diet and lifestyle factors, the exact mechanism underlying alcohol-related bone loss still remained to be clarified. The effects of alcohol use on osteoporosis should be studied more in detail.