A recent study published in 'JAMA Network Open' found that women with prediabetes during premenopausal visits have a higher risk of fractures. The study included data of 1690 women participants from the Study of Women's Health across the Nation cohort study who were in pre-menopause or early perimenopause at the beginning of the study and later transitioned to post-menopause. More specifically, the data of women who did not have type 2 diabetes before the menopausal transition, and did not take medications beneficial for bone health prior to the transition, is taken for the study. The primary stage of menopausal transition (MT) was defined as the first visit in late perimenopause or the first postmenopausal visit if participants went directly from pre-menopause or early perimenopause to post-menopause. The average follow-up period was 12 years.

      The average age of the women in the study was 49.7 years, and they came from diverse ethnic backgrounds, including Black, Chinese, Japanese, and White women. The mean body mass index (BMI) at the start of the menopausal transition was 27.6. Of the participants, 225 women (13.3%) had prediabetes at one or more study visits before the menopausal transition, while 1465 women (86.7%) did not have prediabetes. Among the women with prediabetes, 25 (11.1%) experienced a fracture, compared to 111 (7.6%) of the women without prediabetes. Even after considering factors such as age, BMI, cigarette use, previous fractures, use of medications that may affect bone health, race and ethnicity, and study site, prediabetes before the menopausal transition was still associated with a higher risk of fractures.

      The study highlights the importance of understanding the connection between prediabetes and fractures, which are increasingly recognized as complications of diabetes affecting the bones. Further research in this area is necessary to explore the prediabetes prevention in reducing the risk of fractures in women.