A study published in the American Journal of Human Biology reveals a worrying trend: the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected bone health in young adults.
Led by researchers at Comenius University in Slovakia, this study compared bone health measurements of 387 young adults before the pandemic and 386 during the pandemic, uncovering significant changes.
Decreased Bone Mineral Density and Content
The study’s striking finding is the decrease in bone mineral density and total bone mineral content among participants assessed during the pandemic.
This decline, noted in the forearm measurements, signals a concerning impact of the pandemic on overall bone health.
The research team suggests that lifestyle changes during the pandemic might have contributed to these adverse effects on bone health. The restrictions and alterations in daily routines could have played a significant role in this decline.
A Call for Further Research
Corresponding authors Lenka Vorobeľová, Ph.D., and Darina Falbová, Ph.D., emphasize the need for additional research. They aim to understand whether this reduction in bone mineral density is a symptom of long COVID syndrome and its potential long-term consequences.
The study raises an alarm about the post-pandemic risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures, especially in older populations. The authors advocate for further investigations to assess the broader impact of the pandemic on bone health across different age groups.
Conclusion
This study highlights a lesser-known yet significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on bone health in young adults.
It opens the door for more comprehensive research to understand the full extent of the pandemic’s effects on our physical well-being and to develop strategies to mitigate these impacts.
If you care about COVID, please read studies about Moderna’s new COVID-19 vaccine is more efficient and long-lasting and findings of Scientists find a new cause of long COVID.
For more information about bone health, please read studies about vitamin K deficiency linked to hip fractures in old people, and these vitamins could help reduce bone fracture risk.
The research findings can be found in American Journal of Human Biology.
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