Table 1.
Studies estimating heritability of BMD change
| Sample | Key results | Author (Ref.) |
|---|---|---|
| 21 MZ and 19 DZ twin pairs aged 24–65 yr; mostly women | h2 of 3-yr BMD Δ = 20% (femoral neck, NS), 76% (spine) | Kelly (31) |
| 327 Mexican-Americans aged 25–45 yr | h2 of 5.5-yr BMD Δ = 34% (hip), 27–34% (forearm), 22% (spine, NS) | Shaffer (33) |
| 300 Mexican-Americans aged 45 yr and older | h2 of 5.5-yr BMD Δ = 44% (hip), 31% (forearm), 42% (spine) | Shaffer (34) |
| 230 premenopausal sister pairs (338 total women) from Indiana (mean age 35 yr) | h2 of 5.7-yr BMD Δ = 40% (femoral neck) | Hui (32) |
| 25 MZ and 21 DZ male twin pairs (World War II veterans) aged 45–55 yr; sample later expanded to 57 MZ and 54 DZ pairs and reanalyzed | h2 of 16-yr BMD Δ ∼ 0% (forearm) | Christian (29); Slemenda (30) |
| 177 MZ and 185 DZ twin pairs, all peri- or postmenopausal women, aged 45–82 yr | h2 of 4.9-yr BMD Δ = 49% (forearm), 38% (spine). h2 of BMD Δ at hip not significant | Makovey (35) |
| 152 MZ and 204 DZ twin pairs, all postmenopausal women, aged 40 yr and older | h2 of 8-yr BMD Δ = 47% (femoral neck), 56% (forearm), 44% (spine, NS) | Zhai (36) |
BMD Δ, BMD change; h2, heritability; NS, Not statistically significant.