Liver damage from alcohol and fatty foods may promote the development of dangerous bone diseases in men, according to a new scientific study.
Researchers from McGill University in Canada have discovered that a protein produced in the liver is essential for bone formation and strengthening in men. When the liver is damaged, production of this protein – called plasma fibronectin – is disrupted, increasing the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis, two conditions that make bones more fragile and significantly increase the chance of serious fractures.
According to the study, this mechanism does not seem to affect women in the same way, as their bones depend less on this specific protein.
The findings are particularly important, as it is estimated that around one in three adults in the UK has some form of liver disease, most without knowing it. The main cause remains excessive alcohol consumption, but a large number of cases are linked to fatty liver, caused by obesity and an unhealthy diet. Previous studies have shown that frequent consumption of fast food significantly increases the risk of liver disease.
The study authors suggest that liver disease may be a major cause of osteopenia and osteoporosis in men. Osteopenia represents the early stage of bone weakening and, unlike advanced osteoporosis, can be reversed with lifestyle changes, such as regular physical activity, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol. If left untreated, it can progress to osteoporosis, which causes serious and often disabling fractures.
Around 40 per cent of people over 50 in the UK are thought to have osteopenia. Although the majority are women – due to the drop in oestrogen during the menopause – experts warn that more and more men are being affected, often without knowing it.
“About 60 percent of osteoporosis cases in men are a consequence of other underlying diseases,” explains Mari Tuulia Kaartinen, lead author of the study. “Our findings suggest that this protein may be a biological link connecting liver disease to bone loss.”
Every year, around 12,000 people die from liver disease in the UK. In the early stages, these diseases can be improved with diet and lifestyle changes, but in the advanced stages they become incurable. Around 80 per cent of those affected are unaware of their condition.
Osteoporosis, on the other hand, affects over three million Britons. Statistics show that over the course of their lives, one in three women and one in five men will suffer a fracture due to this disease.
In laboratory experiments, researchers deactivated the fibronectin gene in the livers of mice. Only the male mice showed a reduced ability to build strong bones, highlighting biological differences between the sexes.
“This is further evidence that diseases can develop differently in men and women,” Kaartinen points out. “Taking these differences seriously is essential for more accurate prevention and treatment.”
The study reinforces the idea that osteoporosis is not just a bone disease, but a problem related to the health of the entire body. /GazetaExpress/
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