FREE NEJM E-TOC    HOME   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   CURRENT ISSUE   |   PAST ISSUES   |   COLLECTIONS   |   Search Term  Advanced Search

Sign in | Get NEJM's E-Mail Table of Contents — Free | Subscribe

Previous Volume 319:1698-1701 December 29, 1988 Number 26 Next

	Add to Personal Archive Add to Citation Manager Notify a Friend E-mail When Cited PubMed Citation

Abstract

Blacks have a greater bone mass and a lower incidence of osteoporosis and hip fractures than whites. We performed biopsies of the iliac crest in 12 blacks (6 men and 6 women) and 13 whites (8 men and 5 women) who were matched for age (range, 19 to 46 years) and weight, to determine whether histomorphometric differences between blacks and whites could be identified. The static measurements of cortical and cancellous bone architecture were not significantly different in the two groups. In contrast, the dynamic measurements, determined with tetracycline markers, showed that the mean rate of bone formation in the blacks was only 35 percent of that in the whites (P less than 0.001). We conclude that the rate of bone turnover is lower in blacks than in whites, since bone resorption and bone formation are closely coupled in the steady state. If reconstitution of previously resorbed cavities at remodeling sites is incomplete in osteoporosis, a reduction in the rate of skeletal remodeling could provide a means for maintaining and preserving bone mass in blacks.

Source Information

Department of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta 30912.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Aloia, J. F (2008). African Americans, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and osteoporosis: a paradox. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 88: 545S-550S [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kovesdy, C. P., Ahmadzadeh, S., Anderson, J. E., Kalantar-Zadeh, K. (2007). Obesity Is Associated with Secondary Hyperparathyroidism in Men with Moderate and Severe Chronic Kidney Disease. CJASN 2: 1024-1029 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lentle, B., Worsley, D. (2006). Osteoporosis Redux. JNM 47: 1945-1959 [Full Text]  
• Bryant, R. J., Wastney, M. E., Martin, B. R., Wood, O., McCabe, G. P., Morshidi, M., Smith, D. L., Peacock, M., Weaver, C. M. (2003). Racial Differences in Bone Turnover and Calcium Metabolism in Adolescent Females. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 88: 1043-1047 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Finkelstein, J. S., Sowers, M., Greendale, G. A., Lee, M.-L. T., Neer, R. M., Cauley, J. A., Ettinger, B. (2002). Ethnic Variation in Bone Turnover in Pre- and Early Perimenopausal Women: Effects of Anthropometric and Lifestyle Factors. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 87: 3051-3056 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Finkelstein, J. S., Lee, M.-L. T., Sowers, M., Ettinger, B., Neer, R. M., Kelsey, J. L., Cauley, J. A., Huang, M.-H., Greendale, G. A. (2002). Ethnic Variation in Bone Density in Premenopausal and Early Perimenopausal Women: Effects of Anthropometric and Lifestyle Factors. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 87: 3057-3067 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bell, N. H., Bilezikian, J. P., Bone III, H. G., Kaur, A., Maragoto, A., Santora, A. C. (2002). Alendronate Increases Bone Mass and Reduces Bone Markers in Postmenopausal African-American Women. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 87: 2792-2797 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gupta, A. (2001). Renal bone disease in black dialysis patients: are algorithms developed for white dialysis patients valid?. Nephrol Dial Transplant 16: 1518-1519 [Full Text]  
• Weinsier, R. L, Krumdieck, C. L (2000). Dairy foods and bone health: examination of the evidence. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 72: 681-689 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• GUPTA, A., KALLENBACH, L. R., ZASUWA, G., DIVINE, G. W. (2000). Race Is a Major Determinant of Secondary Hyperparathyroidism in Uremic Patients. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 11: 330-334 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Seeman, E., D., M. (1998). Growth in Bone Mass and Size--Are Racial and Gender Differences in Bone Mineral Density More Apparent than Real?. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 83: 1414-1419 [Full Text]  
• Abrams, S. A. (1998). Bone Turnover during Lactation--Can Calcium Supplementation Make a Difference?. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 83: 1056-1058 [Full Text]  
• Prentice, A., Jarjou, L. M. A., Stirling, D. M., Buffenstein, R., Fairweather-Tait, S. (1998). Biochemical Markers of Calcium and Bone Metabolism during 18 Months of Lactation in Gambian Women Accustomed to a Low Calcium Intake and in Those Consuming a Calcium Supplement. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 83: 1059-1066 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Awumey, E. M. K., Mitra, D. A., Hollis, B. W., Kumar, R., Bell, N. H. (1998). Vitamin D Metabolism Is Altered in Asian Indians in the Southern United States: A Clinical Research Center Study. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 83: 169-173 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Doherty, T. M., Tang, W., Dascalos, S., Watson, K. E., Demer, L. L., Shavelle, R. M., Detrano, R. C. (1997). Ethnic Origin and Serum Levels of 1{alpha},25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Are Independent Predictors of Coronary Calcium Mass Measured by Electron-Beam Computed Tomography. Circulation 96: 1477-1481 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Weinstein, R. S., Jilka, R. L., Parfitt, A. M., Manolagas, S. C. (1997). The Effects of Androgen Deficiency on Murine Bone Remodeling and Bone Mineral Density Are Mediated via Cells of the Osteoblastic Lineage. Endocrinology 138: 4013-4021 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ettinger, B., Sidney, S., Cummings, S. R., Libanati, C., Bikle, D. D., Tekawa, I. S., Tolan, K., Steiger, P. (1997). Racial Differences in Bone Density between Young Adult Black and White Subjects Persist after Adjustment for Anthropometric, Lifestyle, and Biochemical Differences. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 82: 429-434 [Abstract] [Full Text]