Accelerated bone loss, but not low periosteal expansion, is associated with higher all-cause mortality in older men - prospective MINOS study

Lack of association between bone size and mortality shows that periosteal expansion is not an artifact induced by the selective mortality of men with narrow bones. We confirmed that poor bone status reflects poor health. These data should be interpreted with caution because of the study limitations, especially the lack of representativity of the cohort and dropout of older and sick men. However, they suggest that older men with low BMD or accelerated bone loss should obtain detailed diagnostic assessment to establish general factors that can contribute to their poor bone status.