Adequate serum copper concentration could improve bone density, postpone bone loss and protect osteoporosis in women

ABSTRACT

To determine the protective impact of efficient serum copper concentration on BMD in women and to asses its impression on bone. six hundred healthy women through a national project in Iran, IMOS, were selected via a cluster random sampling and enrolled the study. They were divided to pre menopausal [404/600, 67.7% of total] and post menopausal [190/600, 32%of total] groups. BMD was measured by biphotonic absorptimetry DEXA for hip and lumbar spine. Morning serum copper concentration was determined by atomic absorption spectrometry. Mean age was 40.92 +/- 14.8yr .Mean serum copper concentration 105.85 +/- 40.15microg/dl and mean BMI= 27.13 +/- 4.81 kg/m2.Totaly 2.4% was smoking, 5% had regular physical activities three times a week and 17.5% was copper deficient. Prevalence of Osteoporosis in postmenopausal women was 12.9% in copper deficient persons vs. 11.3% in normal serum copper ones. No significant difference found according to serum copper concentration associated with BMI, age and vitamin D. Spine BMD revealed a significant correlation with serum copper content. [P= 0.001]. This correlation also existed for Total hip [P< 0.05]. Premenopausal women with serum copper level above 105 microg/dl revealed a significant difference in hip BMD compared to whom with less copper concentration. 1.02 +/- 0.13kg/m2 vs. 0.97 +/- 0.13kg/m2 [P = 0.001]. Copper had an independent role on determining hip BMD in pre menopaused women [P= 0.001]. copper has an independent role on bone density in all healthy women. It could have an adjourning factor for bone loss as well as a protective agent for Osteoporosis