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Review
. 2012 Apr;19(2):128-35.
doi: 10.1097/MED.0b013e328350a6e1.

Type 2 diabetes and bone fractures

Kendall F Moseley  1
Affiliations
Review

Type 2 diabetes and bone fractures

Kendall F Moseley. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2012 Apr.

Abstract

Purpose of review: To discuss current literature and hypotheses pertaining to the pathophysiology of increased bone fragility and fracture in men and women with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Recent findings: Despite high bone mineral density, studies have shown that men and women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are at increased risk for fracture. Complications of T2DM including retinopathy and autonomic dysfunction may contribute to bone fracture by increasing fall risk. Nephropathy may lead to renal osteodystrophy. Lean mass and potentially fat mass, may additionally contribute to skeletal health in diabetes. There is increasing acknowledgement that the marrow microenvironment is critical to efficient bone remodeling. Medications including thiazolidinediones and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may also impair bone remodeling by acting on mesenchymal stem cell differentiation and osteoblastogenesis. T2DM is associated with significant alterations in systemic inflammation, advanced glycation end-product accumulation and reactive oxygen species generation. These systemic changes may also directly and adversely impact the remodeling cycle and lead to bone fragility in T2DM, though more research is needed.

Summary: Fracture is a devastating event with dismal health consequences. Identifying the extrinsic and intrinsic biochemical causes of bone fracture in T2DM will speed the discovery of effective strategies for fracture prevention and treatment in this at-risk population.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest

No potential conflicts of interest or financial disclosures relevant to this article were reported.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Proposed mechanisms of bone fragility in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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