Women With Mood Disorders Should Be Careful When It Comes To Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is the type of disease that leads to the deterioration of the bones
According to a new study, women who suffer from a mood disorder or even substance use disorders (SUD) are more prone to develop osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is the type of disease that can lead to a very increased risk of fracture, as the bone mineral density is reduced and the bone microarchitecture is deteriorating.
From what the researchers who led the study said, it seems that women who suffer from schizophrenia are the ones more at risk of developing osteoporosis. The main cause, it seems, is the illness itself because women suffering from such a mental condition are less active from a physical point of view, have a poor diet and they face early menopause. Deanna L. Kelly, Pharm.D., an associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said that there was also evidence that smokers and substance abusing people were also more prone to develop osteoporosis and bone loss and that the two habits were very common among people suffering from mental issues.
What the team of researchers did was to look at some records from a Medicaid administrative database so as to be able to see how often osteoporosis occurred in women suffering from mental problems. They found out that women who suffered from psychosis and mood disorders were more likely than, let’s say, women who suffered from SUD, to develop osteoporosis. If women suffering from SUD were 1.4 percent more prone than people who did not suffer from mental issues to develop this bone condition, women suffering from schizophrenia and mood disorders were 6.4 more likely. Kelly and co-authors wrote 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.” Furthermore, these groups of women might also require more screening.11
