Diabetes and bone.

ABSTRACT

Traditionally, patients with type 1 diabetes were regarded to be at an increased risk of fractures whereas type 2 diabetics were assumed to be protected from fractures since many of them have high bone mineral density. Nevertheless, several clinical studies consistently demonstrated that type 2 diabetes is a paradigm of a disease with an increased risk of fractures in the presence of high bone mass. The pathophysiology of decreased bone strength in diabetes mellitus is multifactorial insulin deficiency, insulin resistance, osteoblast insufficiency, vitamin D deficiency, formation of advanced glycation end-products in bone, and microvascular complications appear to contribute. Drugs used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes also may influence bone fragility thiazolidinedione use has been associated with an increased risk of fractures.