Be aware of low bone density in the young.(Gynecology)

NEW ORLEANS -- Bone health experts offered their share of helpful clinical insights at the annual meeting of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry.

Here are some of the highlights:

Low Bone Density in the Young

Low bone density is not uncommon in young adults but--at least in the short-term--does not carry with it the same relative risk of fracture as in older individuals unless secondary causes of metabolic bone disease are identified, said Andrew J. Laster, M.D., who is a rheumatologist practicing in North Carolina.

Secondary causes of low BMD include endocrinopathies (hypercalciuria, hypogonadism, hyper-parathyroidism, and Cushing's syndrome), some GI disorders (gastrectomy, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, intestinal bypass surgery, primary biliary cirrhosis, and pancreatic insufficiency), genetic disorders (Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Marfan syndrome, and homocystinuria), and eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and female athlete triad).

Ask patients about long-term glucocorticoids, suppressive doses of thyroid hormone, phenytoin, phenobarbital, GnRH agonists, aromatase inhibitors, cyclosporine, aluminum-containing antacids, long-term heparin, and vitamin A supplementation.

The diagnosis of osteoporosis can be made in premenopausal women if they have low BMD as well as secondary causes of the disorder.