Genetic discovery sheds light on osteoporosis
A defect in the growth hormone gene could have a strong influence on detection and treatment of the brittle bone disease osteoporosis, MRC study findings show. Osteoporosis affects one in three women aged over 50, so the University of Southampton team’s additional finding that the action of the gene could be moderated by environmental factors and diet in early life may play a crucial role in protecting health in later life.
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 2004; 89: 4898-4903