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Constitutive melanin density is associated with prevalent and short-term, but not long-term, incident fracture risk in older Caucasian adults

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Abstract

Summary

Higher cutaneous melanin reduces vitamin D3 production. This may increase fracture risk. We found that cutaneous melanin density was associated with prevalent and short-term, but not long-term, incident fracture risk in older Caucasian adults. Melanin density either acts as a surrogate marker or its relationship with fracture changes with time.

Introduction

Higher cutaneous melanin reduces vitamin D3 production. This may impact lifetime vitamin D status and increase fracture risk. This study aimed to describe the relationship between spectrophotometrically determined constitutive melanin density, prevalent and incident fractures in a cohort of exclusively older Caucasian adults.

Methods

1072 community-dwelling adults aged 50–80 years had constitutive melanin density quantified using spectrophotometry. Participants were followed up at 2.5 (n = 879), 5 (n = 767), and 10 (n = 571) years after the baseline assessment. Prevalence and number of symptomatic fractures were assessed by questionnaire.

Results

Higher melanin density was independently associated with greater prevalence of any fracture (RR 1.08, p = 0.03), vertebral fracture (RR 1.41, p = 0.04) and major fracture (RR 1.12, p = 0.04) and the number of fractures (RR 1.09, p = 0.04) and vertebral fractures (RR 1.47, p = 0.04) in cross-sectional analysis. At the 2.5-year follow-up, higher melanin density was associated with incident fractures (RR 1.42, p = 0.01) and major fractures (RR 1.81, p = 0.01) and the number of incident fractures (RR 1.39, p = 0.02) and major fractures (RR 2.14, p = 0.01). The relationship between melanin density and incident fracture attenuated as the duration of follow-up increased and was not significant at the 5- or 10-year follow-up.

Conclusions

Constitutive melanin density was associated with prevalent and short-term, but not long-term, incident fracture risk in older Caucasian adults. This suggests melanin density either acts as a surrogate marker for an unmeasured fracture risk factor or the relationship between melanin density and fracture changes with time.

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Funding

The TASOAC study was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Tasmanian Community Fund, Masonic Centenary Medical Research Foundation, Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation, and Arthritis Foundation of Australia. No funding body played any role in the design of the study, the analysis of its data or the drafting of the current manuscript.

Michael Thompson is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Postgraduate Scholarship and Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. Dawn Aitken is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Career Development Fellowship. Graeme Jones is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Practitioner Fellowship. Saliu Balogun is funded by the Australian Rheumatology Association Fellowship and the Farrell Family Research Fellowship.

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  1. Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, 17 Liverpool St, Hobart, Tasmania, 7000, Australia

    M. J. W. Thompson, G. Jones, S. Balogun & D. A. Aitken

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  1. M. J. W. Thompson
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  2. G. Jones
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  3. S. Balogun
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  4. D. A. Aitken
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Correspondence to M. J. W. Thompson.

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Thompson, M.J.W., Jones, G., Balogun, S. et al. Constitutive melanin density is associated with prevalent and short-term, but not long-term, incident fracture risk in older Caucasian adults. Osteoporos Int 31, 1517–1524 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-020-05304-4

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