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Impaired skeletal health and neuromuscular function among amphetamine users in clinical treatment

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Abstract

Summary

This study examined musculoskeletal health in amphetamine users, compared with healthy age-matched controls. We show that amphetamine users have reduced bone mass at several skeletal sites and attenuated maximal muscle strength and force development capacity in the lower extremities.

Introduction

Amphetamine use may cause poor bone quality and elevated risk of osteoporosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether amphetamine users exhibit reduced regional and whole body bone mineral density (BMD), altered bone metabolism, and how muscle function may relate to the patient groups’ skeletal health.

Methods

We assessed hip, lumbar spine and whole body BMD, and trabecular bone score (TBS) by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and bone metabolism markers in serum and maximal strength and force development capacity in 36 amphetamine users (25 men, 30 ± 7 years; 11 women 35 ± 10 years) and in 37 healthy controls (23 men, 31 ± 9 years; 14 women, 35 ± 7 years).

Results

Whole body BMD was lower in amphetamine users (8 % in males and 7 % females, p < 0.01), as were BMD at the total hip and sub-regions of the hip (9–11 % in men and 10–11 % in women, p < 0.05). Male users had 4 % lower TBS (p < 0.05) and higher serum level of type 1 collagen amino-terminal propeptide (p < 0.01). This coincided with reduced lower extremity maximal strength of 30 % (males, p < 0.001) and 25 % (females, p < 0.05) and 27 % slower muscular force development in males compared to controls (p < 0.01).

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that amphetamine users suffer from a generalized reduction in bone mass, which was associated with attenuated maximal muscle strength and force development capacity in the lower extremities.

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Acknowledgments

The corresponding author was funded by a grant from the Liaison Committee between the Central Norway Regional Health Authority and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). We thank Stian Kwak for assistance with the blood sample collection.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    M. P. Mosti, A. K. Stunes & U. Syversen

  2. Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    G. Flemmen, J. Hoff & E. Wang

  3. Department of Research and Development, Clinic of Substance Use and Addiction Medicine, St. Olav’s University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway

    G. Flemmen

  4. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, St. Olav’s University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway

    J. Hoff

  5. Department of Endocrinology, St. Olav’s University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway

    U. Syversen

  6. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    E. Wang

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  1. M. P. Mosti
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Correspondence to M. P. Mosti.

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Ethics approval

The regional medical ethics committee (REK-nord) approved the study, and it was carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Mosti, M.P., Flemmen, G., Hoff, J. et al. Impaired skeletal health and neuromuscular function among amphetamine users in clinical treatment. Osteoporos Int 27, 1003–1010 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-015-3371-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-015-3371-z

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