Low calcium intake is associated with increased bone resorption in postmenopausal Japanese women: Yokogoshi Study

Abstract

Objective: Low Ca intake is common among Japanese women, but its effect on bone metabolism has not been fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between Ca intake and serum markers of bone turnover in postmenopausal Japanese women. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: A community setting. Subjects: Subjects were 595 home-dwelling postmenopausal Japanese women. Ca intake was assessed by a validated FFQ. Serum type I collagen cross-linked N-telopeptides (NTX) and osteocalcin were measured as markers of bone turnover. The relationships between demographic characteristics, lifestyles, serum Ca, vitamin D and intact serum parathyroid hormone and bone turnover were also assessed. Results: The average age of the subjects was 64?5 (SD 5?8) years and the mean Ca intake was 527 (SD 160) mg/d. Ca intake was significantly associated with serum NTX (P 5 0?0104), but not with serum osteocalcin. Mean serum NTX concentration in the lowest quartile of Ca intake (,417 mg/d) was significantly higher than in the fourth, referent quartile. Among these Japanese postmenopausal women, very low Ca intake (less than ,400 mg/d) was associated with increased bone resorption but not bone formation. Conclusions: Increased bone resorption may be one mechanism by which this Ca-depleted population normalizes bone metabolism and prevents osteoporosis.

Effect of low-dose calcium supplements on bone loss in perimenopausal and postmenopausal Asian women: A randomized controlled trial

“…Increased bone turnover is found in postmenopausal women with low calcium intake 19. Although the effect of calcium supplements on serum bone turnover markers like osteocalcin and NTX was not definitively demonstrated with this trial, serum osteocalcin and NTX concentrations showed a tendency to decrease more in the calcium supplement groups than the placebo group.…”

Vitamin D and Calcium Insufficiency-Related Chronic Diseases: an Emerging World-Wide Public Health Problem

“…In the USA, the mean intake of calcium in women after age 55 is only ~600 mg/day [ 61 ]. Daily consumption of ~500 mg by elderly Japanese women [ 89 ] is far below a recommended level of 1,200 mg, although daily calcium requirements of East Asian populations may be lower for ethnic reasons [ 79 ].…”

Bone Mineral Density and Nutritional Profile in Morbidly Obese Women

“…This finding may explain the increased prevalence of low bone density in morbidly obese subjects [42]. This is not the case in nonobese subjects, as a Japanese study described an inverse correlation between these variables [40]. There are very few studies that have evaluated NTX-s in obese and morbidly obese individuals, and thus, our data is new, but needs further confirmation.…”