Study shows how alcohol damages bones
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bone loss is an often-overlooked consequence of
heavy drinking, but recent research has illuminated how alcohol takes a
toll on the bones, according to a news report.
In a review of cell, animal and human studies, Dr. Dennis A.
Chakkalakal of the Omaha VA Medical Centre in Nebraska describes how
heavy drinking leads to bone loss, higher risk of fractures and slower
healing of bone breaks.
The main problem appears to be that alcohol inhibits the normal
formation of new bone, Chakkalakal reports in the journal Alcoholism:
Clinical and Experimental Research.
Though excessive drinking has been shown to promote bone thinning and
fractures, some studies have suggested that moderate drinking may
actually help protect bone mass - possibly because small amounts of
alcohol promote new bone formation.
The opposite appears true of high amounts of alcohol, according to
Chakkalakal's review.
Throughout adulthood, bone undergoes a process of 'remodelling,'
whereby cells called osteoclasts break down small portions of old bone,
and cells called osteoblasts form new bone. In healthy, younger adults,
this process is usually balanced, so that bone mass is maintained.
Too much alcohol, however, appears to inhibit osteoblasts from doing
their job, and heavy drinkers may start to lose bone mass in just a few
years, according to Chakkalakal. The potential for bone loss climbs in
tandem with drinking, evidence shows, but it's not clear where the risk
threshold lies.
Most studies on alcohol and bone loss have defined 'heavy' drinking
as roughly six or more drinks per day. But, the review points out,
there's some evidence that bone loss is a risk for people who have
closer to three or more drinks a day.
Though many people know about the damage heavy drinking can inflict
on the liver, far fewer know about the effects on bone, according to Dr.
Terrence M. Donohue Jr., also of the Omaha VA Medical Centre.
In a statement, he recommended that anyone with a bone fracture avoid
alcohol during the healing process.
"The review," he said, "underscores the importance of abstinence from
alcohol consumption by patients - alcoholics or teetotallers - with
fractures and who may want to drink during their convalescence." |