The relative effect of endogenous estradiol and androgens on menopausal bone loss: A longitudinal study

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the relative strength of the association of endogenous estradiol and androgens with bone loss at the lumbar spine and femoral neck during the menopausal transition. Design: A longitudinal study of a population-based cohort of 159 Australian-born women who at baseline had a mean age of 50.0 years (SD = 2.4) and had menstruated in the prior 3 months. BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the lumbar spine and femoral neck on up to three occasions. Results: Of the 159 participants, 50 had two BMD measurements and 109 had a third measure. The mean time between the first and final measures for the whole group was 39 months and at the..