Call 888-647-0579 to speak with an alcohol or drug abuse counselor.

Who Answers?

Younger Alcoholic Men at Risk for Osteoporosis

Low bone mass, or osteoporosis, is a known consequence of alcoholism, especially in older alcoholics. However, a new study shows that younger male alcoholics are also at increased risk for osteoporosis. People with osteoporosis, no matter what the cause, are at an increased risk for fractures and poor fracture healing.

“Our study indicates malnutrition, little exercise, social withdrawal or little exposure to sunlight can contribute to osteoporosis in young alcohol-dependent patients,” said lead investigator Peter Malik, M.D., of the Medical University at Innsbruck, Austria.

The study appears online and in the February 2009 issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Researchers measured the bone mineral density of 37 alcoholic men and 20 alcoholic women ages 27 to 50. All participants were currently inpatients of an alcohol rehabilitation clinic and were not drinking at the time of the examination. Patients with liver cirrhosis or those taking medications known to influence bone health were not included in the study.

Before entering rehabilitation, the men consumed an average of 22 drinks per day and the women consumed an average of 18 drinks per day. Most of the participants smoked.

Almost one-quarter of the men had a bone mineral density that was lower than expected for age. In the women’s group, only 5 percent (1 person) had a low bone mineral density.

“It was surprising to me that although the female patients consumed high amounts of alcohol, there seems to be a protective factor present — probably higher estrogen levels — which cannot be fully explained at the moment,” Malik said.

Most of the participants also had low vitamin D levels, likely an indication of poor nutrition and lack of exposure to sunlight. Low vitamin D levels can lead to osteoporosis, but the researchers found no direct relationship to vitamin D levels and decreased bone mineral density.

“One of the significant aspects of Dr. Malik’s paper is that there are very few studies that have looked at osteoporosis in this particular [younger] age group of alcoholics,” said U.S. researcher Dennis Chakkalakal, Ph.D.

Osteocalcin, a laboratory marker for new bone formation, was above the normal range in about 38 percent of men and 30 percent of women. This suggests that osteoporosis is at least partially reversible in alcoholics who quit drinking, as these patients did.

“It has been demonstrated very clearly that more than 30 days of abstinence results in increasing osteocalcin,” said Chakkalakal, of the Orthopedic Research Laboratory and Alcohol Research Center at the Omaha Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Malik said that the results of his study and other research indicate a need to screen alcoholic men for osteoporosis. “Medical therapy for osteoporosis, when started early, can improve the long-term outcome.”

source: Newswise

More Treatment & Detox Articles

Introducing kids to alcohol can lead to binge drinking later in life

Researcher Caitlin Abar of the Prevention Research and Methodology Center at Pennsylvania State University suggested that parents enforce a zero-tolerance policy in the home. She also said that there is no scientific evidence to support the belief that prohibiting alcohol turns it into a “forbidden fruit” and encourages abuse. In an effort to see whether….

Common Misconceptions About Addiction Treatment

You’ve probably heard all sorts of things about addiction treatment like it’s impossible, it’s painful, it doesn’t work, or it’s only effective if you have hit rock bottom. Because you’ve hear all of these things, you’re probably rather scared to seek help or you may not even think that it’s worth it—these are all common….

Wealthy women more likely to binge drink

Wealthy and professional women are far more likely to binge drink than those on lower incomes, a new survey of Scotland’s health has suggested. Official figures showed 31 per cent of females in homes with the highest earners drink more than the recommended limit of 14 units per week, the equivalent of seven pints of….

Abstinent Alcoholics And Postural Sway

Excessive sway during quiet standing is a common and significant consequence of chronic alcoholism, even after prolonged sobriety, and can lead to fall-related injury and even death. A new study of residual postural instability in alcohol-abstinent men and women shows that alcoholics improve with prolonged sobriety, but the improvement may not fully erase the problem….

Alcohol Recovery Sunday

A friend sent me the following reflection from one of his parishioners, who asked not to have his name attached. Well worth reading: I am an alcoholic. I can say that now and know what it means- that was not always the case. When I first started coming to the rooms of AA I couldn’t….