Lack of hormonal changes in postmenopausal women of equal weight with and without osteoporosis, including relation to time of menopause.

The hormonal variations in postmenopausal osteoporosis are not precisely defined. The duration of the menopause and other factors, such as the weight of the patients, may be of significance. Having a basic criterion of uniformity in weight, sixty postmenopausal women were studied in regard to the following aspects: urinary hydroxyproline, estrone, estradiol, parathyroid hormone, thyroxine, triiodothyronine, thyroid stimulating hormone, cortisol and metacarpal cortical area/total area. They were divided into: Group A: 15 patients with osteoporosis and five years since menopause; Group B: 15 patients without osteoporosis (age-matched with group A); Group C: 15 patients with osteoporosis and more than ten years since menopause; and Group D: 15 patients without osteoporosis (age-matched with Group C). In the group with postmenopausal osteoporosis (A and C) there is a significant increase in urinary hydroxyproline/creatinine and a significant decrease of the cortical area/total area when we compared them with age-matched groups. The hormonal values do not vary significantly among the four groups. Ours results indicate an increase of bone resorption as a cause of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The hormonal variations, if any, cannot be related to basal values.