Osteoporosis is often only seen in women, but not in men. Osteoporosis in men is often neglected, under-diagnosed, and underappreciated. Men are confirmed to have a 13–25% risk of experiencing an osteoporotic fracture over their lifetime. Decreased bone mass and the risk of fracture due to osteoporosis in men are associated with decreased steroid hormones as well as age-related osteoblast dysfunction.
Nutrients such as vitamin D also play a pivotal role in the process of bone metabolism. The role of vitamin D itself requires the involvement of molecules that receive vitamin D called vitamin D receptors. The vitamin D receptor gene is a gene that was first implicated in the bone phenotype. Vitamin D receptors have been strongly associated with the development of several musculoskeletal diseases. This prompted a large number of studies that sought to identify the association between VDR gene polymorphism and bone density.
There are several types of vitamin D receptor polymorphisms that have been reported, including BsmI, TaqI, FokI, and ApaI. The association of vitamin D receptor polymorphisms with bone density in women and children has been widely reported, but not in men.
Cen and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis study that sought to find out the relationship between vitamin D receptor polymorphism and bone mass density in men. There are 14 studies that are eligible for analysis. Of the 14 studies available, there are four reported types of polymorphism such as BsmI, TaqI, FokI, and ApaI. Meta-analysis resulted that several genetic analysis models of BsmI and FokI significantly affected BMD in men. This polymorphism mechanism will cause decrease in bone density by modifying protein stability, then affecting transcriptional activity and inhibiting cell growth.
The studies included in this meta-analysis still involve populations of Europe, the Americas, Australia, and a small number of Asians. Of course, studies are still needed with larger numbers and varying races in answering the relationship between vitamin D receptor polymorphism and bone mass density in men.
Author: Cennikon Pakpahan
Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1568163722000137
Pakpahan, Cennikon, et.al. (2022). Do vitamin d receptor gene polymorphisms affect bone mass density ini men? A Meta-analysis of observational studies. Ageing Research Reviews. 75 (2022) 101571.
