Effect of heavy alcohol intake in the absence of liver disease on bone mass in black and white men.

Previous studies have shown that bone mass is significantly decreased in chronic alcoholic white patients, especially those with evidence of liver involvement. However, liver disease is an independent risk factor for bone loss. In vitro studies have shown that alcohol has a direct effect on osteoblasts. The effects of chronic alcohol consumption on bone mass in the absence of liver disease are not known. In addition, the effect of alcohol on bone in black alcoholic subjects has not been examined previously. In the present study, we evaluated the effects of prolonged heavy alcohol intake on bone mass in both black (n = 21) and white (n = 19) male subjects without significant liver disease. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine and hip and various markers of bone metabolism in alcoholic subjects were compared with those in respective age-matched controls (n = 16 blacks and 14 whites). Mean values for BMD of the lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck were not significantly different between alcoholic subjects and their respective controls among either blacks or whites. In white subjects, age and duration of alcohol were noted to have significant independent effects on BMD, whereas in blacks, age was the only factor that significantly affected bone mass independently. In the absence of liver disease, prolonged heavy alcohol intake results in bone loss in white subjects. The skeleton of black subjects may be less affected by alcohol.