Pre-menopausal women of South Asian origin might be more at risk of developing osteoporosis in later life, owing to higher levels of a by-product of bone resorption, a new study in the journal Bone reports.
Bone resorption is a natural process which enables the transfer of calcium from bone tissue into the bloodstream and is required to allow bone to adapt itself to challenges (e.g. change in a person’s activity levels) and repair damage.
However, if excessive and not balanced by equivalent bone formation, overtime this can be detrimental to bone health, the study said.
The findings, reported in the journal Bone revealed that pre-menopausal South Asian women had higher levels of urinary N terminal telopeptide – a by-product of bone resorption found in urine — than their white counterparts, indicating elevated levels of bone resorption than would be expected for their age.