Deep wrinkles linked to poor bone health

Deep wrinkles may be more than a sign of ageing, as scientists say they may also be an indication of poor bone health.

Researchers from Yale University School of Medicine found that more severe wrinkles were linked to lower bone density in women who had recently gone through the menopause.

"Skin and bones share common building blocks — proteins, and ageing is accompanied by changes in skin and deterioration of bone quantity and quality," said Dr Lubna Pal, who led the study.

Because of this, the team of researchers looked at whether the quality of a woman's skin could be used to predict who would be most at risk of brittle bones.

The researchers assessed the severity and location of wrinkles in 114 women in their late 40s and early 50s who had gone through the menopause in the past three years.

The firmness of the skin on the women's foreheads and cheeks was measured using a device known as a durometer. Women were also scored on the number and depth of their wrinkles at 11 skin locations. A type of X-ray and ultrasound was used to measure bone density.

"We found that deepening and worsening skin wrinkles are related to lower bone density among the study participants," said Dr Pal.

"The worse the wrinkles, the lesser the bone density, and this relationship was independent of age, or factors known to influence bone mass."

The study also found that higher durometer scores, which indicated firmer skin, were associated with better bone density.

Dr Pal concluded: "Our findings that the appearance and physical properties of the skin can reflect the quality of the skeleton are noteworthy because this may allow clinicians to identify fracture risk in post menopausal women 'at a glance' without depending on costly tests."

The findings were presented at the Endocrine Society Meeting in Boston.

This article was published on Tue 7 June 2011