Osteoporosis risk ‘increased by fat in organs and blood’

Obese people with higher levels of fat in their liver, muscle tissue and blood could be at an increased risk of osteoporosis, according to a new study.

US research published online in the journal Radiology has demonstrated that people who are overweight often have higher amounts of fat in their bone marrow, putting them in danger of experiencing bone loss.

The team used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to precisely measure the amount of fat in the bodies of 106 obese men and women, revealing that higher levels of bone marrow fat put people at increased risk of fracture.

Study lead author Dr Miriam Bredella, associate professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School, said: "Obesity was once thought to be protective against bone loss. We have found that this is not true."

Approximately three million people in the UK are thought to suffer from osteoporosis, causing more than 250,000 fractures every year.