Wrinkles are a telltale sign of aging, and they might also be able to predict a woman’s bone fracture risk, according to Yale School of Medicine researchers.
In a new study, a research team hypothesized that the quality of a postmenopausal woman’s skin was a reflection of the status of her bones.
The team studied this theory in a subgroup of early menopausal women within three years of their last menstrual period who are enrolled in the ongoing clinical trial, the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS).
The investigators assessed skin wrinkles at 11 locations on the face and neck, and assessed skin rigidity at the forehead and the cheek using a device called the durometer. Skeletal mass and density were studied by X-ray and ultrasound.
The scientists concluded that the severity and distribution of skin wrinkles and overall skin quality was related to lower bone density among study participants.
"The worse the wrinkles, the lesser the bone density, and this relationship was independent of age or of factors known to influence bone mass,” said Lubna Pal, associate professor at Yale.
"Our findings … may allow clinicians to identify fracture risk in postmenopausal women ‘at a glance’ without depending on costly tests," she added.