The Effect of Alcohol Withdrawal on Bone Turnover in Women with Alcohol Dependence

Several studies have highlighted the detrimental effects of alcohol dependence upon bone health, but the majority of data relate to male alcoholics. In general, these effects are considered to be either a direct toxic effect on bone or related to confounding lifestyle factors linked to alcohol dependence. Given the rising prevalence of alcohol dependence in young women, data relating to this group are timely. We performed a study to assess bone health in this population and specifically to study change in bone turnover following admission to an alcohol detoxification unit in New Zealand.