CALCITONIN AND POSTMENOPAUSAL OSTEOPOROSIS

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Abstract
Fasting serum calcitonin levels were measured in 54 postmenopausal women who had for 10 yr been taking part in a double blind trial to assess the effect of the synthetic estrogen, mestranol, on postmenopausal bone loss. There were no differences in calcitonin levels between mestranol-treated and placebo groups. Fifteen of the women were challenged with a Ca infusion to measure the secretory reserve of calcitonin. Estrogen treatment did not increase the calcitonin response to Ca infusion. The 3 patients who exhibited the greatest responses were placebo-treated. Bone density was measured by .gamma.-ray absorptiometry over the 10 yr period and the annual rate of change of bone density calculated. No correlation could be found between basal calcitonin level or calcitonin reserve and change in bone density. Postmenopausal osteoporosis is not caused by a deficiency of calcitonin and that the action of estrogen therapy to prevent bone loss does not involve calcitonin.