Genetically Determined Later Puberty Impacts Lowered Bone Mineral Density in Childhood and Adulthood

Abstract

Bone mass increases dramatically during puberty. The process of sexual maturation is therefore likely to impact lifelong bone health. Bone mineral density (BMD) tracks throughout life and later age at menarche is associated with increased osteoporosis risk in women, possibly because of combined effects of later menarche and lower peak bone mass in young adulthood. Genome-wide association studies have identified 380 variants associating with pubertal timing (1). Recent studies have found that pubertal timing and adult aBMD share a common genetic etiology (2).