Recent studies suggest that the prevalence of osteoporosis in
the United States varies with ethnicity. White and Hispanic
Americans (after adjusting for weight, BMD, and other covariates) are at greater risk for osteoporosis than other ethnic
or racial groups, especially those who are of small stature,
such as T.J., and those who are proportionally underweight
for their height.27 The significance of heredity as a risk factor for osteoporosis is being studied. It has been proposed
that approximately 75% of the genetic effect on a person’s
chance to develop osteoporosis is owing to a particular allelic
variant in the gene that is responsible for encoding the 1,25-
dihydroxyvitamin D receptor.26 Data from a meta-analysis of
16 studies revealed conflicting results on the association of
polymorphisms and fracture risk.28 Women with a first-degree
relative with osteoporosis typically have low bone mass.29
In addition, black women of African ancestry typically have
higher BMD than do white women