Detecting osteoporosis through nails

Scientists have found that nail scans can tell if you have osteoporosis, because an important and essential bond in your nails and bones helps make them strong.

Conducting this study are scientists at Limerick University. They concluded that if the amount of this particular bond in the nail is low, then the amount of this substance in the corresponding bone is also low.

Nail scans can tell if you have osteoporosis (Photo: nail-company) This can be considered a simple method of detecting osteoporosis and not high cost. This result is expected to be announced publicly later this year.

Osteoporosis is a very common disease (especially in the elderly), it makes bones weak and can lead to fractures, which are difficult to heal.

One in three women in the UK has osteoporosis, and this rate in men is 1/12. Every year, it is estimated that there are about 200,000 people in the country with broken bones and about 40 people die each day.

The idea of ​​this new method stems from a random finding by a doctor. While taking care of osteoporosis patients, the doctor found their nails softer than usual.

Soon Dr. Mark Towler of the University of Limerick was assigned to analyze the composition of nails and bones to find the answer. He took nail and bone samples in 10 osteoporosis patients to examine and compare the results with 10 normal people with bone and nail samples.

Finally, he found that people with osteoporosis had lower levels of disulphide binding agents (needed to bind one protein molecule to another protein molecule) than those who did not. (In nails, disulphide helps to bind keratin, while in bone it binds collagen proteins together)

In addition, scientists have conducted research on 200 other people who previously used bone scans to diagnose osteoporosis. If someone through this method is diagnosed with osteoporosis, then scientists also find low levels of disulphide in their bones and nails.

Dr Towler said: "Many people often take bone scans after menopause or after a period of smoking to detect osteoporosis for timely treatment. With this new method people will not need to This is a costly measure, they just need to send their nail samples to the hospital and still get accurate results. "

Scientists are looking for funding to conduct follow-up studies to determine exactly how much disulphide is in a person who is considered to have osteoporosis and at what rate risk.