A newly published study is the first to explore the link between air pollution and bone density, especially in postmenopausal women, and finds that its effects are most pronounced on the lumbar spine, twice as fast as normal aging.

Some air pollutants can adversely affect bone density, osteoporosis risk, and fractures in older adults, according to a study. The study, which is the first to examine the link between air pollution and bone density, particularly in postmenopausal women, found its effects were most pronounced on the lumbar spine, at twice the rate of normal aging. The study is also the first to explore the effects of air pollutants on bones. The findings were published in Electronic Clinical Medicine, a journal of The Lancet, on February 14.

The researchers analyzed data collected by the Women's Health Initiative study, a racially diverse cohort study of 161,808 postmenopausal women. They estimated air pollution (PM10, NO, NO2, and SO2) exposures based on participants' home addresses and measured participation using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at year one, three, and six year follow-up. Bone mineral density (whole body, total hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine) of the patient.

Studies have shown that the magnitude of the effect of nitrogen oxides on bone density in the lumbar spine is equivalent to a 1.22% annual reduction, almost twice the effect of age. These effects are thought to result from bone cell death through oxidative damage and other mechanisms.

"Our findings confirm that poor air quality may be a risk factor for bone loss, independent of socioeconomic or demographic factors. For the first time, we have evidence that nitrogen oxides are a major cause of bone damage, with the lumbar spine being the One of the most prone sites for this type of injury," said Diddier Prada, the study's first author and an associate research scientist in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

"Improving exposure to air pollution, particularly nitrogen oxides, will reduce bone damage in postmenopausal women, prevent fractures, and reduce their burden of health costs associated with osteoporosis. Further work should focus on detecting those are at higher risk of bone injury," said Andrea Baccarelli, lead author of the paper and chair of the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

Approximately 2.1 million osteoporosis-related fractures occur in the United States each year, resulting in direct medical costs of up to $20.3 billion annually. Osteoporosis affects women more than men, accounting for 80 percent of the estimated 10 million Americans with osteoporosis. Postmenopausal women are at higher risk of developing osteoporosis—one in two women over the age of 50 will suffer a fracture from osteoporosis.

Previously, researchers at Columbia University found that long-term exposure to air pollution reduces bone density and increases the risk of fractures later in life. Subsequently, these findings were confirmed in multiple human studies. (Original title "Air Pollution Accelerates Osteoporosis")

Related paper information:

http://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.101864