REPLY
Bone Mineral Density in Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
Paulus L. A. van Daele, MD;
Jan C. Birkenhager, MD; and
Huibert A. P. Pols, MD
1 November 1995 | Volume 123 Issue 9 | Page 731
IN RESPONSE:
We thank Dr. McKenna for his valuable comments. Indeed, some studies suggest that diabetes is associated with a low bone turnover [1, 2], which might result in a diminution of age-related bone loss in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. However, this hypothesis is not supported by our recent finding that the rate of bone loss in our patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is not decreased [3].
We agree that it would be interesting to examine whether patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus have more stress fractures. However, because all fractures in this study were self-reported, we do not have adequate information on the number of stress fractures. Nevertheless, because we found fewer reported nonvertebral fractures, the number of stress fractures would probably not be increased in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
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Author and Article Information
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Academisch Ziekenhuis Rotterdam; 3015 GD Rotterdam; the Netherlands
1. Verhaeghe J, van Herck E, Visser WJ, Suiker AM, Thomasset M, Einhorn TA, et al. Bone and mineral metabolism in BB rats with long-term diabetes. Decreased bone turnover and osteoporosis. Diabetes. 1990; 39:477-82.
2. Krakauer JC, McKenna MJ, Rao DS, Fenn NS, Parfitt AM, Whitehouse FW. Long term preservation of bone mass in diabetes mellitus. Calcif Tissue Int. 1993; 52(Suppl 2):S27.
3. van Daele PL, Stolk RP, Burger H, et al. Rates of bone loss in subjects with and without non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The Rotterdam Study. Bone. 1995; 16(Suppl 1):187S.
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