Sarath Lekamwasam

Effects of multiparity and prolonged breast-feeding on maternal bone mineral density: a community-based cross-sectional study

BackgroundStudies conducted in Western countries have shown that bone loss associated with pregnancy and breast-feeding is recovered after weaning. However, it is not clear whether recovery takes place after repeated pregnancies followed by prolonged periods of breast-feeding; especially in developing countries where nutritional intake is comparatively low.This study was designed to examine the effects of multiparity and prolonged breast-feeding on maternal bone mineral density (BMD) in a community-based sample of 210 Sri Lankan women, aged between 46 and 98 years.MethodsBMD of the lumbar spine (L2–L4) and femoral neck were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Reproductive history was recorded by using a questionnaire. Women were, first, divided into groups according to parity (nulliparous, 1–2, 3–4, and 5 or more children), and BMDs in different groups were compared, initially unadjusted and then adjusted for age. Same subjects were subdivided, again, according to the total duration of breast-feeding (0, 1–48, 49–96, and 97 months or more) and similar analysis was carried out.ResultsWomen who had 5 or more children and women who had breast-fed for 97 months or more were older than the other women (p < 0.01) but no differences in height, weight or BMI were observed among the groups. Age adjusted BMD at lumbar spine and femoral neck BMDs of women grouped according to parity were not significantly different. Neither was there any difference between lumbar spine or femoral neck BMD in groups based on duration of breast-feeding.ConclusionFrom this population-based study conducted in a developing country, we infer that history of multiparity or prolonged breast-feeding has no detrimental effects on maternal BMD in post-menopausal age.

Effects of zinc and multimineral vitamin supplementation on glycemic and lipid control in adult diabetes

Aims: To evaluate the effects of zinc with or without other antioxidants on blood glucose, lipid profile, and serum creatinine in adult diabetics on long-term follow-up. Materials and methods: Patients (n = 96) were randomly allocated to three groups: group A (n = 29) was supplemented with oral zinc sulfate (22 mg/day) and multivitamin/mineral (zinc+MVM) preparation; group B (n = 31) was given the same preparation without zinc (MVM); and group C (n = 36) was given a matching placebo for a period of 4 months in a single-blinded study. Blood samples were taken at baseline and after 4 months of supplementation to assess blood glucose (fasting and postprandial) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1C%) and serum levels of zinc, creatinine, and lipids. Results: The zinc+MVM group had a mean change of fasting blood sugar −0.33 mmol/L (standard error of the mean 0.21 mmol/L) and was significant (P = 0.05) when compared with the other two groups (mean change in the MVM group +0.19 (0.31) mmol/L and +0.43 (0.23) mmol/L in the control group, respectively). The HbA1C% level reduced significantly, irrespective of the baseline level, in zinc+MVM-supplemented individuals. In the other two groups, the change of HbA1C% level was not significant. Serum lipid levels reduced significantly in the zinc+MVM and MVM groups. Conclusions: Zinc+MVM supplementation showed beneficial effects in the metabolic control of adult diabetics in addition to elevating their serum zinc level. Zinc supplementation improved glycemic control measured by HbA1C% and fasting and postprandial glucose. Furthermore, zinc supplementation lowered serum cholesterol and cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein ratio.

Effect of leg rotation on hip bone mineral density measurements

Bone mineral density (BMD) measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is widely used in the management of patients with osteoporosis. Factors, which are specific to machine or to operator, can influence the accuracy and precision of BMD estimations. We studied the effect of leg rotation by 10 degrees either internally or externally from the standard position in a group of 50 women (average age 54.9, SD = 11.1 yr) who were free of bone active diseases or medications. External rotation of leg by 10 degrees from the customary position increased the average BMD by 0.005, 0.003, and 0.036 g/cm2 in the femoral neck, trochanter, and Wards area (p = 0.119, 0.309, and <0.001), respectively. Internal rotation of leg by 10 degrees from the customary position decreased the average BMD by 0.009, 0.005, and 0.006 g/cm2 in the femoral neck, trochanter, and Wards area (p = <0.001, 0.008, and <0.001), respectively. The number of subjects qualified for the diagnosis of osteoporosis based on the T-scores (equal to or below -2.5) of the femoral neck and trochanter did not change significantly in three different positions (18% in the customary position and after the external rotation and 14% after the internal rotation). A significant change in the femoral neck BMD (defined as 2.77 x precision error) was seen in 12% of subjects after the internal rotation and 8% after the external rotation. Our data emphasize the need for proper positioning of the hip during DXA scanning. Malrotation of the hip can be an important confounding factor when interpreting serial BMD values.

Application of FRAX Model to Sri Lankan Postmenopausal Women

The FRAX software developed by the World Health Organization provides a method to estimate fracture probability of old men and women based on their bone mineral density (BMD) and clinical risk factors (CRFs). The validity of 4 selected ethnic-specific FRAX tools in determining prevalent fracture or treatment decisions in a group of postmenopausal women from Sri Lanka was examined. Women with a history of fragility fracture/s and those who were detected to have femoral neck T-score<2.5 were considered eligible for specific osteoporosis treatment. Ten-year all osteoporotic fracture (vertebral and nonvertebral) probability (10y-AOFP) of 481 postmenopausal women were estimated on US Caucasian, US Asian, Japanese, and Chinese FRAX tools, first using CRFs alone and then combining with femoral neck T-scores. At 20% 10y-AOFP, Chinese tool showed a very low sensitivity in detecting prevalent fracture or detecting women needing intervention (1.3%). Sensitivities observed with US Asian and Japanese tools ranged from 33% to 42%, showing their limitations in predicting prevalent fracture in this group of women. The US Caucasian tool, either with CRFs alone or with BMD incorporated, showed a relatively higher sensitivity in detecting fractures or identifying those needing interventions (71% and 76%, respectively). Furthermore, the US Caucasian tool showed a relatively high specificity (ranging from 70% to 87%). In conclusion, this analysis showed the limitations of the current FRAX tools in predicting fractures when applied to a different ethnic group. Until a separate FRAX tool is developed, the US Caucasian tool can be used to predict fractures in Sri Lankan postmenopausal women.

Osteoporosis and cardiovascular risk among premenopausal women in Sri Lanka.

We examined the association between bone mineral density (BMD) and cardiovascular risk in a group of premenopausal women selected from the Southern province of Sri Lanka. One hundred six previously healthy premenopausal volunteers (aged 30-54 yr) were recruited by open invitations. Subjects with previous history of diabetes, hypertension, epilepsy, chronic renal or liver disease, hyperlipidemia, ischemic heart disease, endocrine diseases, or prolonged inflammatory conditions were excluded. Subjects who were taking medications that can affect bone density, blood sugar, serum lipids, or blood pressure (BP) were also excluded. Women with the history of previous fractures were not excluded. BMDs in the spine, hip, and total body (TB) were measured using a Hologic Discovery scanner (Hologic Inc, Bedford, MA). BP, fasting glucose, and fasting lipids were also measured. Independent of body mass index (BMI) and age, TB bone mineral content (BMC) and spine BMD showed inverse and significant correlations with total cholesterol (TC), low density cholesterol, and the ratio between TC and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (r ranged from -0.24 to -0.27, p<0.05 for all). The highest mean lipid levels were seen among the women in the lowest third of spine BMD, whereas women in the upper third of spine BMD had the lowest lipid levels. The number of women with metabolic syndrome in the 3 tirtiles of spine BMD was not significantly different. Fasting glucose or BP had no association with either BMD or BMC. In conclusion, our data demonstrates an association, independent of age and BMI, between BMD and BMC or lipid levels among previously healthy, premenopausal women. This may explain the high cardiovascular risk seen in women with osteoporosis in old age.

Long Term Cereal-Based Nutritional Supplementation Improved the Total Spine Bone Mineral Density amongst Sri Lankan Preschool Children: A Randomized Controlled Study

ABSTRACT Background: The Thriposha programme in Sri Lanka provides a combination of energy, protein and micronutrients as a ‘ready-to-eat’ cereal-based food. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of calcium and vitamin D3 in the Thriposha on bone mineralization among preschool children aged 3-5 years. Design: Subjects (n=30) were fed with conventional Thriposha while the control group (n=30) children were fed without mineral and vitamin premix (Corn-Soya-Blend - CSB) for a period of nine months. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) of total spine was measured at the baseline and after the intervention. Results: The mean baseline total spine BMD was 0.464(0.050) g/cm2 in the interventional group and 0.453(0.035) g/cm2 in the control group (p=0.09). At the end of the study, the BMD levels were 0.487(0.047) and 0.454(0.031) g/cm2 (p<0.001) respectively. Conclusion: Daily supplementation of cereal based food supplement over a period of nine months improved the total spine BMD.

Treatment of glucocorticoid-induced low bone mineral density in children: a systematic review.

The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate, critically, the treatment options used in the management of bone loss associated with glucocorticoid (GC) use among children.

Age-related trends in hip geometry in Sri Lankan women: a cross-sectional study

Indices of hip geometry are known to be predictive of hip fractures while sex and ethnic differences in hip geometry have been previously demonstrated. Age-related trends in hip geometry among Asians, however, have not been studied sufficiently. A total of 280 healthy, perimenopausal women, aged between 32 and 97 years, were selected from the Community Study Area of the Faculty of Medicine, Galle, Sri Lanka. Hip DXA images were analyzed further to calculate the hip axis length, neck-shaft angle, and femoral neck width at the narrowest point of the femoral neck. Standard formulae were used to calculate cross-sectional area, cross-sectional moment of inertia, and section modulus in the femoral neck region. Mean (SD) age, weight, height, femoral neck bone mineral density (BMD), hip axis length, neck-shaft angle, neck width, cross-sectional area, and cross-sectional moment of inertia of the study sample were 56.8 (13.0) years, 47.8 (10.1) kg, 1.48 (0.06) m, 0.704 (0.147) g/cm2, 90.6 (5.6) mm, 123.2 (5.7)°, 2.99 (0.24) cm, 2.00 (0.42) cm2, and 1.62 (0.47) cm4, respectively. Height and weight of subjects had positive correlations with most of the indices of hip geometry. Femoral neck BMD, cross-sectional area and section modulus showed a rapid reduction during the postmenopausal period. With advancing age, there was a marginal but statistically nonsignificant expansion of the neck width, increase in the hip axis length, and narrowing of the neck-shaft angle. In conclusion, this study demonstrated a gradual loss of BMD in postmenopausal age, accompanied by thinning of the cortical shell and deterioration of the resistance to bending in the femoral neck of this group of healthy women. The clinical relevance of the marginal changes seen in other indices such as neck-shaft angle, hip axis length, and neck width is not known.

Effect of parity on phalangeal bone mineral density in post-menopausal Sri Lankan women: a community based cross-sectional study

There is paucity of studies related to parity and bone mineral density in South Asian countries. We recruited 713 healthy, community dwelling post-menopausal women from seven provinces in Sri Lanka for this survey. The number of pregnancies, including miscarriages beyond 20 weeks of gestation, was recorded. Women with diseases and those who have taken drugs that can affect bone mineral density (BMD) were excluded (n = 15). Phalangeal BMD and bone mineral content (BMC) were measured using AccuDEXA in 713 women. Mean (SE) BMD of nulliparous women (n = 32), women with one to two pregnancies (n = 284), three to four pregnancies (n = 290) and more than four pregnancies (n = 107) were 0.437(0.014), 0.454(0.005), 0.455(0.005) and 0.417(0.006) g/cm(2), respectively (P < 0.001). Corresponding mean (SE) BMCs were 1.30(0.063), 1.41(0.021), 1.43(0.022) and 1.32(0.033) g, respectively (P < 0.001). Women with more than four pregnancies were older and lighter when compared with other groups. When results were adjusted for current age and current weight, differences in mean BMD and BMC between groups became non-significant. BMD of nulliparous women remained low in all analyses. We report a significant difference in unadjusted phalangeal BMD in women categorized according to their parity. Women with one to four pregnancies had the highest phalangeal BMD and BMC, while multi-parous (more than four pregnancies) and nulliparous women had lower values. However, in an adjusted analysis, the differences in BMD and BMC were partially explained by the differences of age and body weight between the groups and the unique effect of parity was difficult to determine. Women with lower BMD may have a higher risk of future fractures.

Age-Related Trends in Phalangeal Bone Mineral Density in Sri Lankan Men and Women Aged 20 Years or More

To establish normative reference values and to study the age-related trends in phalangeal bone mineral density (BMD), 4504 male and 5215 female volunteers aged 20 yr or more were recruited from 7 provinces from October 2004 to October 2005. Subjects suffering from diseases and those who were taking medications, which could affect BMD were excluded from the analysis (n=530). Phalangeal BMD was measured in the nondominant hand using an AccuDXA. Men and women were categorized to age groups of 20-29 (1087 men and 1079 women), 30-39 (1122 men and 1146 women), 40-49 (1148 men and 1455 women), 50-59 (810 men and 1111 women), 60-69 (250 men and 335 women), and 70 yr or more (87 men and 94 women). Mean BMDs (SD) of men in above categories were 0.595 (0.057), 0.603 (0.061), 0.591 (0.066), 0.576 (0.069), 0.558 (0.077), and 0.522 (0.079) g/cm2, respectively. The corresponding BMDs (SD) in women were 0.495 (0.057), 0.506 (0.062), 0.502 (0.064), 0.462 (0.072), 0.406 (0.072), and 0.340 (0.055) g/cm2, respectively. Peak BMD was seen in 30-39-age category in both sexes. Women after 50 yr lost BMD at a rate of 0.006 (standard error 0.0003) g/cm2/yr, whereas the corresponding value in men was 0.002 (standard error 0.0001) g/cm2/yr. These data provide normative reference data for the calculation of T-score and Z-score for phalangeal BMD in Sri Lankan men and women aged more than 20 yr.