Lack of relationship between glycemic control and bone mineral density in type 2 diabetes mellitus

We assessed the effect of chronic hyperglycemia on bone mineral density ( BMD) and bone remodeling in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We investigated 42 patients with type 2 diabetes under stable control for at least 1 year, 22 of them with good metabolic control ( GMC: mean age = 48.8 +/- 1.5 years, 11 females) and 20 with poor metabolic control ( PMC: mean age = 50.2 +/- 1.2 years, 8 females), and 24 normal control individuals ( CG: mean age = 46.5 +/- 1.1 years, 14 females). We determined BMD in the femoral neck and at the L2-L4 level ( DEXA) and serum levels of glucose, total glycated hemoglobin ( HbA(1)), total and ionic calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase, follicle- stimulating hormone, intact parathyroid hormone ( iPTH), 25-hydroxyvitamin D ( 25-OH-D), insulin- like growth factor I ( IGFI), osteocalcin, procollagen type I C propeptide, as well as urinary levels of deoxypyridinoline and creatinine. HbA(1) levels were significantly higher in PMC patients ( 12.5 +/- 0.6 vs 7.45 +/- 0.2% for GMC and 6.3 +/- 0.9% for CG; P < 0.05). There was no difference in 25- OH- D, iPTH or IGFI levels between the three groups. BMD values at L2-L4 ( CG = 1.068 +/- 0.02 vs GMC = 1.170 +/- 0.03 vs PMC = 1.084 +/- 0.02 g/cm(2)) and in the femoral neck ( CG = 0.898 +/- 0.03 vs GMC = 0.929 +/- 0.03 vs PMC = 0.914 +/- 0.03 g/ cm(2)) were similar for all groups. PMC presented significantly lower osteocalcin levels than the other two groups, whereas no significant difference in urinary deoxypyridine was observed between groups. The present results demonstrate that hyperglycemia is not associated with increased bone resorption in type 2 diabetes mellitus and that BMD is not altered in type 2 diabetes mellitus.