A new study out of Yale University says that the severity and distribution of facial skin wrinkles may offer clues about bone mineral density in early menopausal women.

"Skin and bones share common building blocks — proteins — and aging is accompanied by changes in skin and deterioration of bone quantity and quality," said Lubna Pal, an associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive science who headed the study.

Pal and colleagues studied a subgroup of early menopausal women within three years of their last menstrual period who are enrolled in the ongoing clinical trial. They assessed skin wrinkles at 11 locations on the face and neck using a pictorial scale. Then they measured skin rigidity at the forehead and the cheek using a device called the durometer. Skeletal mass and density were studied by dual X-ray absorptiometery and a portable heel ultrasound device.

"We found that deepening and worsening skin wrinkles are related to lower bone density among the study participants," Pal said. "The worse the wrinkles, the lesser the bone density, and this relationship was independent of age or of factors known to influence bone mass."

In contrast to the skin wrinkles, higher durometer scores — indicating higher skin rigidity — were related to better bone density.

"Our findings that the appearance and physical properties of the skin can reflect the quality of the skeleton are noteworthy because this may allow clinicians to identify fracture risk in postmenopausal women at a glance without depending on costly tests."

BODY OF KNOWLEDGE

Your lungs are the only internal organs that float.

NUMBER CRUNCHER

An In-N-Out cheeseburger with onion, ketchup and mustard (268 grams) contains 400 calories, 162 from fat. It has 18 grams of total fat or 28 percent of the recommended total fat intake for a 2,000-calorie daily diet.

It also contains 60 milligrams of cholesterol (20 percent); 1,080 mg of sodium (45 percent); 41 grams of total carbohydrates (14 percent); 10 grams of sugar and 22 g of protein.

COUNTS

77 — Percentage of Americans surveyed who said all or some of the cost of oral contraceptives should be covered by private health insurance

Source: NPR-Thomson Reuters Health Poll

MEDTRONICA

The Health Care Blog

thehealthcareblog.com

If you can't get enough news or inside dope about the American health care debate, this is the place to get your fix. It's wonkish — a recent posting discussed the legal case of Florida v. the Department of Health and Human Services — but very much undaunted by the complexities of the subject.

DOC TALK

Wallet biopsy — What happens to discharged patients when they meet with the hospital cashier.

PHOBIA OF THE WEEK

Phronemophobia — fear of thinking

NEVER SAY DIET

Held by Patrick Bertoletti, the world's speed-eating record for glazed, cream-filled doughnuts is 47 in five minutes.

OBSERVATION

"The whole imposing edifice of modern medicine is like the celebrated Tower of Pisa — slightly off-balance."

— Charles, Prince of Wales

CURTAIN CALLS

On the night of Feb. 2, 1959, nine ski-hikers abandoned their camp, some clad only in underwear despite sub-zero temperatures, and walked to their deaths. Six died of hypothermia; three from unexplained injuries.

When their bodies were discovered, the corpses showed no signs of struggle, though one had a fatal skull fracture, two had major chest fractures and one was missing her tongue. Tests by Soviet investigators noted that some of the hikers had been exposed to large amounts of radiation, but no official explanation for their deaths was ever determined.

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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