Anxiety can weaken bones

Sydney, April 15 (IANS) Beware -- anxiety now comes with a new risk: it weakens your bones!

Researchers from Deakin in Australia and Norwegian universities analysed data of over 8,000 men and women from central Norway and found a link between depressive symptoms and reduction in bone mineral density.

Participants underwent forearm bone mineral density scans, reports the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Deakin researcher Lana Williams said it was found that depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms in men were associated with lower bone mineral density, said a Deakin statement.

'There are several known risk factors for low bone mineral density, such as advanced age, gender (women are at greater risk than men), familial predisposition, low levels of sex hormones, inadequate calcium intake and vitamin D deficiency,' Williams said.

'It is possible that poor mental health could be another one of these risk factors.'

Recently, the possible association between psychiatric illness - particularly depression - and osteoporosis has been the subject of a growing body of research.