Diabetes and Osteoporosis: Part I, Epidemiology and Pathophysiology

Abstract

Both diabetes and osteoporosis are increasingly prevalent diseases, in part owing to aging populations worldwide. Epidemiologic data have shown that other organs may be adversely affected by diabetes, including the skeleton, in what has become known as diabetes-induced osteoporosis, which represents the combined impact of conventional osteoporosis with the additional fracture burden attributed to diabetes. There is an increased risk of fracture in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, and some antidiabetic medications also may contribute to increased risk of fracture in diabetes.

Keywords: Bone; Bone mineral density; Diabetes; Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry; Fracture; Osteoporosis.