Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Aug 31;16(3):282-289.
doi: 10.9758/cpn.2018.16.3.282.

Increased Bone Mineral Density after Abstinence in Male Patients with Alcohol Dependence

Tae-Hong Song  1 , Joo-Cheol Shim  2 , Do-Un Jung  1 , Jung-Joon Moon  1 , Dong-Wook Jeon  1 , Sung-Jin Kim  1 , Min-Kyung Oh  3
Affiliations

Increased Bone Mineral Density after Abstinence in Male Patients with Alcohol Dependence

Tae-Hong Song et al. Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. .

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to compare the bone mineral density of male patients with alcohol dependence with that in healthy controls and to assess changes in bone density after abstinence.

Methods: Forty-four inpatients with confirmed the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition diagnosis of alcohol abuse and 42 controls were recruited. Bone density was determined with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in the lumbar spine as well as in the femoral neck, trochanter, and Ward's triangle regions of the proximal right femur.

Results: There were no significant differences in age and body mass index between patients with alcohol dependence and healthy controls. In the alcohol dependence group, osteopenia and osteoporosis were found in 54.5% and 34.1% of the patients, respectively, whereas in the control group, the corresponding values were 45.2% and 11.9% (p=0.001). Although the actual bone density in the femur and the corresponding T-scores were significantly lower in the alcohol dependence group, no significant differences were found in the lumbar spine. In both groups, body mass index showed a significant correlation with bone mineral density in all areas. After 3 to 4 years of abstinence, bone density significantly increased in the lumbar and femur.

Conclusion: We conclude that bone mineral density in patients with alcohol dependence was significantly lower than that in healthy controls, and the rates of osteopenia and osteoporosis are higher. Importantly, abstinence from alcohol increases bone density.

Keywords: Alcohol abstinence; Alcoholism; Bone density; Osteoporosis..

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. World Health Organization. Assessment of fracture risk and its application to screening for postmenopausal osteoporosis. Report of a WHO Study Group. World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser. 1994;843:1–129. - PubMed
    1. Hagino H, Yamamoto K, Ohshiro H, Nakamura T, Kishimoto H, Nose T. Changing incidence of hip, distal radius, and proximal humerus fractures in Tottori Prefecture, Japan. Bone. 1999;24:265–270. doi: 10.1016/S8756-3282(98)00175-6. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lippuner K, Golder M, Greiner R. Epidemiology and direct medical costs of osteoporotic fractures in men and women in Switzerland. Osteoporos Int. 2005;16( Suppl 2):S8–S17. doi: 10.1007/s00198-004-1696-0. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kanis JA, Johansson H, Johnell O, Oden A, De Laet C, Eisman JA, et al. Alcohol intake as a risk factor for fracture. Osteoporos Int. 2005;16:737–742. doi: 10.1007/s00198-004-1734-y. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Jung DU, Conley RR, Kelly DL, Kim DW, Yoon SH, Jang JH, et al. Prevalence of bone mineral density loss in Korean patients with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional study. J Clin Psychiatry. 2006;67:1391–1396. doi: 10.4088/JCP.v67n0909. - DOI - PubMed