The effect of menopause on biochemical markers and ultrasound densitometry in healthy females

Urinary pyridinoline (pyr) and deoxypyridinoline (dpyr) are new markers for bone resorption, and serum osteocalcin reportedly indicates osteoblastic activity. Recently, a new ultrasound bone densitometer instrument has been developed that measures ultrasonic properties of the os calcis, namely, the speed of sound (SOS), broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA), and stiffness index. The effects of menopause on biochemical markers and ultrasound densitometry were investigated in 40 healthy females, 36-39 years, with regular menstruation, and in 117 healthy perimenopausal females, 47-57 years, who were divided into a premenopausal group and a postmenopausal group. Significantly elevated values of pyr, dpyr, and serum osteocalcin were found for the postmenopausal group as a whole compared with the premenopausal group. We examined postmenopausal groups 48-57 years of age stratified into 2-year intervals (within 2 years of the menopause, 2-4 years postmenopause and 4-6 years postmenopause). Elevated values of urinary pyr, dpyr, and serum osteocalcin were evident even in the first 2 years postmenopause compared with the premenopausal group, and these higher values were exhibited until 6 years after menopause. We found a significant decrease in SOS, BUA, and stiffness index of the postmenopausal group as a whole, compared with those of the premenopausal group. SOS, BUA, and stiffness index of the group within 2 years of menopause significantly decreased compared with those of the premenopausal group. The Z-scores of the increase in biochemical markers and the decrease in stiffness index in the postmenopausal group were approximately 0.7-1.3 compared with the premenopausal group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)