Osteoporosis and Fracture among Patients with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

Park, Eun Joo; Hong, Seo Yu

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for osteoporotic fractures. The occurrence of Osteoporosis among patients who have diabetes mellitus further increases both economically and physically their burden of disease. Nevertheless, osteoporotic screening or prophylactic treatment for all patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus is not being recommended at present. The reason is that neither the relationship between diabetes and osteoporosis and nor differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus are clear. At present, while low bone mineral density (BMD) is consistently observed in type 1 diabetes mellitus, the relationship is less clear for type 2 diabetes mellitus, with some studies reporting modestly increased or an unchanged BMD. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus have been associated with a higher risk of fractures. The presence of micro- and macro-vascular diabetic complications as a result of long standing poor glycemic control, rather than long duration predict low BMD in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. In type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, obesity protects bone loss and increases BMD. Nevertheless, hypoglycemic episodes under insulin therapy with commonly established risk factors of falls such as advanced age, impaired balance, a history of coronary heart disease or arthritis and peripheral neuropathy may have contributed to the increased risk for falls and result in fractures. We suggest that osteoporosis screening and prophylactic treatment for all patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus needs to be recommended along with considerations of each individual's risk profile for osteoporotic fractures.