Men's Osteoporosis Support GroupAssociation between hemochromatosis and osteoporosis
Osteoporos Int. 2008 Jul 26. [Epub ahead of print]. Association between iron overload and osteoporosis in patients with hereditary hemochromatosis. Valenti L and others. PMID: 18661088. Hemochromatosis results in excess iron build up in the body which can cause multiple problems if not treated. However, phlebotomy to remove blood--and excess iron with it--will generally treat the condition. Diet changes and medications may also be suggested. The Valenti and others study looked at 87 patients with hereditary hemochromatosis (HHC) to check for factors that might be associated with osteoporosis in these individuals. The patients were seen consecutively and evaluated with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry of the lumbar spine (86) and femoral neck (66). They found that 25.3% had osteoporosis and 41.4% had osteopenia. The lumbar spine T-score was associated with total ALP (alkaline phosphatase), hypogonadism/menopause, and iron overload. They also noted borderline significance for body mass index (BMI) and smoking status. Lumbar spine osteoporosis was independently associated with lower BMI, total ALP, and the amount of iron removed. The authors conclude: Osteoporosis is observed in a quarter of unselected patients with HHC, independently of genetic background, and is associated with ALP, hypogonadism, body weight and severity of iron overload. Editor's comments. First I want to suggest Medline Plus as being a good informational resource for medical conditions such as HHC. You'll note there is a lot of information there, including medical trials that might be available and tutorials that include videos. For individuals with HHC it is obvious that getting an initial diagnosis as early as possible and then keeping iron buildup under good control are extremely important. As the Valenti and others study shows, not only to avoid organ failure, but to prevent osteoporosis. Individuals with HHC should be aware that abnormal ALP results, low BMI and severe iron overload are risk factors for osteoporosis They should discuss the osteoporosis risk with their care providers and possibly ask for referral to an osteoporosis specialist, such as an endocrinologist or rheumatologist, to see if therapy is needed for the osteoporosis.
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