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 Researchers examined results from anxiety assessments and bone
mineral density tests for 192 postmenopausal women. Those with the
lowest anxiety levels had a 10-year fracture risk of about 20
percent, compared with a 25 percent risk among women with the
highest anxiety levels, the study found.
"Higher anxiety levels were independently from other factors
associated with low bone mineral density and higher fracture risk,"
said lead study author Dr. Antonino Catalano of the University
Hospital of Messina in Italy.
"Our findings suggest a possible new clinical risk factor for
osteoporosis that could be measured in order to improve our ability
to identify women at risk for fractures," Catalano said by email.
Worldwide, an estimated one in three women and one in five men will
suffer from a fracture related to osteoporosis - thinning bones that
are more brittle and more easily fractured, the researchers note in
the journal Menopause.
Women are particularly vulnerable because during menopause, the body
starts producing less of the hormone estrogen, contributing to
osteoporosis.
Much of the previous research into connections between osteoporosis
and mood disorders has focused on whether impairment related to bone
thinning or fractures might contribute to mental health problems
like depression, researchers note. Some previous research has also
linked anxiety disorders to an increased risk of osteoporosis.
Women in the current study were 68 years old on average and had
typically gone through menopause about two decades earlier.
Questionnaires assessing anxiety levels touched on a range of
emotions, including tension, fear and restlessness as well as
physical symptoms such as insomnia, digestive issues, respiratory
problems and tension headaches.
Anxiety levels appeared to be influenced by advanced age, age at
menopause, years since menopause and depressive symptoms.
Overall, 150 participants, or 78 percent, had already had at least
one previous fracture and 87, or nearly half, had a parent who had
experienced a hip fracture.
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For women with the lowest anxiety levels, the 10-year risk of a hip
fracture was about 7.2 percent, compared with 9.3 percent for women
with the highest anxiety levels.
The study wasn't a controlled experiment designed to prove whether
or how anxiety might directly worsen osteoporosis or cause
fractures. It also excluded patients with a history of a wide range
of health problems and women who had previously been prescribed
drugs for mood disorders or osteoporosis.
In addition, it's not clear from the study how treating anxiety with
medications or psychotherapy might impact the risk of osteoporosis
or fractures.
Some women who experience anxiety after menopause may find that
taking hormones to ease menopause symptoms can help improve their
mood, said Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, executive director of the North
American Menopause Society and a professor of obstetrics and
gynecology at the University of Virginia Health System in
Charlottesville.
"They can consider mindfulness, cognitive therapy, self-calming
strategies, yoga, or seeking help through counseling or, if needed,
medications," Pinkerton, who wasn't involved in the study, said by
email.
"Although hormone therapy is not a treatment for depression or
anxiety, it can sometimes be helpful in women and is sometimes used
alone or in combination depending on whether women have menopausal
symptoms or respond favorably to a trial of hormone therapy,"
Pinkerton added.
For optimal bone health, women should also avoid smoking, excessive
drinking and being sedentary, Pinkerton advised. They should also
get adequate vitamin D from sun exposure or supplements and consume
lots of calcium-rich foods.
SOURCE: https://bit.ly/2HJ1KHT Menopause, online May 9, 2018.
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