Women with Mood Disorders More Prone to Osteoporosis

By Traci Pedersen Associate News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D.on May 4, 2011

Women who suffer from major mood disorders and those who experience both psychosis and a substance use disorder (SUD) have a significantly increased risk for osteoporosis, research shows.

“People with schizophrenia are considered a high-risk group for developing bone loss and osteoporosis, due in part to the illness itself and to multiple associated risk factors such as poor diet, low exercise, early menopause, and antipsychotic-associated hyperprolactinemia,” said researcher Deanna L. Kelly, Pharm.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Hyperprolactinemia is an unusually high level of of the hormone prolactin in the blood.

“There is also evidence that osteoporosis and bone loss is greater in people who are smokers and who are substance abusing, both common in persons with psychotic disorders,” Kelly and her co-authors noted.

The team analyzed data from a Medicaid administrative database in order to investigate the occurrence of and frequency of screening for osteoporosis among women with psychotic disorders, SUDs, and nonpsychotic major mood disorders.

Of the 18,953 women, ages 50-64 years, 2143 (11.3 percent) had been diagnosed with psychosis, 704 (3.7 percent) had a mood disorder, and 1366 (7.2 percent) had SUD. The rest acted as a control group.  A total of 6.7 percent of the women had osteoporosis at the time of the study, but only 4 percent of those without osteoporosis received screening.

As for being screened for osteoporosis, researchers found no significant difference in rates among women with psychosis, major mood disorders, and the control group. Those with a SUD, however, were a significant 39 percent less likely to receive screening compared to controls.

“We could not determine whether this reduction in screening occurs because clinicians fail to recommend the test to this population, because patients fail to follow-up on that recommendation, or due to other factors,” said the researchers.

The final results show that women with a major mood disorder and also those in the oldest age group (55-64 years) who were diagnosed with both SUD and psychosis were a significant 1.4 and 6.4 times more likely, respectively, to have osteoporosis than controls.

In contrast, women with only psychosis or only an SUD had a similar osteoporosis prevalence to the control group.

“Accordingly, it appears that efforts should be made to increase osteoporosis prevention and treatment in those with substance abuse problems and especially in those who also have comorbid psychosis,” wrote Kelly and co-authors in the journal Osteoporosis International.

“The higher rates of diagnosed osteoporosis among older women with major mood disorders indicate that this group, also, may require more extensive screening,” they said.

Source:  Osteoporosis International Journal

Related News Articles
-->Related Clinical Articles
-->

 

 

Addiction, Depression, Featured, General, Health-related, LifeHelper, Medications, Mental Health and Wellness, Psychology, Research, Schizophrenia, Substance Abuse -->

« News Index

DepressionDepression Overview Depression Quiz Blog: Depression on My Mind General Symptoms of DepressionSpecific Symptoms of a Depressive EpisodeTreatment OptionsLiving with Depression Depression LibraryDozens of articles Ask the Therapist about DepressionAsk Others about Depression Medications for DepressionMore on AntidepressantsNew Depression Medications on the Horizon Depression in Older AdultsDepression in ChildrenTeenager DepressionDepression in WomenDiabetes and DepressionMore articles on depression... Related DisordersDythymic DisorderDysthymia TreatmentSeasonal Affective Disorder Related TopicsNIMH ResearchMEDLINE ResearchTreatment News Clinical TrialsDiagnostic Codes Recommended ResourcesBooksWebsites & OrganizationsEvidence-based Treatment for Children Connect with OthersPersonal StoriesJoin Our Support GroupRate 'n Review Depression MedicationsOther Online Support Groups
Latest ArticlesWhat to Do When You Think Someone is SuicidalBeyond the Blues: Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum DepressionThe Long Half-Life of TraumaA Terrible Melancholy: Depression in the Legal ProfessionCan Smoking Cause Depression?Psychiatric Tales: Eleven Graphic Stories About Mental Illness

 From Our News BureauPossible Brain Biomarkers for Bipolar Disorder Secondhand Smoke Delivers Nicotine to the Brain
Just Published...Psych Central Roundup: The Death of Osama bin LadenIs Stress Consuming You? Here’s What to DoSo, You Can’t Afford a Chi-Chi Treatment Center…That’s No... 9 Ideas for Increasing Your Chances of Matching
What's HotOsama Bin Laden is Dead: A Mindful ResponseadvertisementMost Popular NewsPossible Brain Biomarkers for Bipolar Disorder Remembering Happy Days Helps Future Happiness Secondhand Smoke Delivers Nicotine to the Brain Deaths from Rx Pain Meds Surpass Heroin, Cocaine Young People Think They're Healthier Than They Are Multitasking Is Distracting Gender Discrimination in the Workplace Teen Brains More Susceptible to Pervasive Anxiety Two Antidepressants Appear No Better Than One Most Popular Blog PostsPsych Central Roundup: The Death of Osama bin Laden 6 Reasons Why It's Good to Be a Loser Do We Become What We Hope We'll Become? 6 Difficult Types of People and How to Deal With Them Two Important Lessons from My Much Procrastinated Trip to the Dentist Harming Your Child by Making Him Your Parent 12 Steps to Break Your Addiction to a Person Does Semen Make Women Happy? Cannabis as an Anti-Depressant? Wyeth's Dr. Phil Ninan on Pristiq Subscribe to Our Weekly Newsletter

advertisement
Find a Therapist

Users Online: 3478
Join Us Now!
Local GuidesAll Guides
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
DC
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming


  #footer { height:220px; } #foot-mid { margin:0 0 0 40px; } Home • About Us • Advertise with Us • Contact Us
Privacy Policy • Terms of Use • Site Map • Disclaimer/Disclosure • Feeds

Download the Psych Central Toolbar

Copyright © 1992-2011 Psych Central. All rights reserved.
Site last updated: 4 May 2011

Psych Central Professional
Psych Central Answers
Psych Central Blog Network
Psych Central News
Tests & Quizzes
Sanity Score
Forums • NeuroTalk

ADHD
Anxiety
Bipolar
Depression
Schizophrenia
Psychotherapy

We comply
with the
HONcode
standard:
Verify here