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Sleep Apnea Linked with Higher Spine Fracture Risk Among Women

09/10/2020

Emerging evidence suggests that obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may negatively affect bone health. Results from a new study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research now indicate that women with history of OSA may face a higher risk of spine, or vertebral, fractures.

Using information from the Nurses’ Health Study, investigators examined data pertaining to 55,264 women without a prior history of bone fractures. OSA was self-reported in 1.3% of participants in 2002 and increased to 3.3% by 2012. Between 2002 and 2014, 461 vertebral fractures and 921 hip fractures occurred.

Women with a history of OSA had a 2-fold higher risk of vertebral fracture relative to those with no OSA history, with the strongest association observed for OSA associated with daytime sleepiness. No association was observed between OSA history and risk of hip fracture.

“Our study provides important evidence at the population level that obstructive sleep apnea may have an adverse impact on bone health that is particularly relevant to the development of vertebral fracture,” said lead author Tianyi Huang, ScD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Given that we used self-reported clinical diagnoses of sleep apnea and fracture in our study, future studies could use more deeply characterized data to further the understanding of the mechanisms linking sleep apnea to bone health and fracture risk.”

Additional Information

Link to Study: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jbmr.4127

About Journal 

The Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (JBMR) publishes highly impactful original manuscripts, reviews, and special articles on basic, translational and clinical investigations relevant to the musculoskeletal system and mineral metabolism. Specifically, the journal is interested in original research on the biology and physiology of skeletal tissues, interdisciplinary research spanning the musculoskeletal and other systems, including but not limited to immunology, hematology, energy metabolism, cancer biology, and neurology, and systems biology topics using large scale “-omics” approaches. The journal welcomes clinical research on the pathophysiology, treatment and prevention of osteoporosis and fractures, as well as sarcopenia, disorders of bone and mineral metabolism, and rare or genetically determined bone diseases. 

About Wiley

Wiley drives the world forward with research and education. Through publishing, platforms and services, we help students, researchers, universities, and corporations to achieve their goals in an ever-changing world. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to all of our stakeholders. The Company's website can be accessed at www.wiley.com.

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