Risk Factors for Osteoporosis and Oral Bone Loss in Postmenopausal Women.

Abstract

Abstract : The overall purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between skeletal and oral bone density, identify factors influencing bone loss, and determine the relationship between osteoporosis and oral bone loss, periodontal disease and tooth loss. We hypothesize that reduction in bone density leading to osteoporosis, plays a significant role in increasing susceptibility to destructive periodontitis and tooth loss. Sensitive and accurate measures of skeletal and oral bone mineral density, periodontal disease and tooth loss will be used. A wide variety of other risk factors for both osteopenia and periodontal disease will be assessed. A total of 1463 subjects were recruited from an ongoing NIH funded study cohort, the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) and are participants of this study. In this year findings were presented at the Congress of Epidemiology (June 2001, Toronto Canada) and at the International Association for Dental Research Meeting (June 2001, Chiba Japan). Data were presented for the first 608 study participants enrolled from the larger study of over 1400 women. Data analysis is ongoing. Copies of published abstracts and descriptive analysis of the 1463 enrolled is presented in this report.