© Springer. The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12018-017-9229-5
Clinic Rev Bone Miner Metab (2017) 15: 59-68
Both genetic and environmental factors are involved
in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and other skeletal
disorders. Epidemiological studies have revealed an influence
of a variety of social factors, including socioeconomic status
(SES) on the risk of osteoporosis. The mechanisms involved
are complex and still incompletely elucidated. Nevertheless, a
variety of clinical risk factors known to influence skeletal
homeostasis have been reported as being socially patterned,
including nutrition, exercise, and other lifestyles, among
others. These factors may impact the skeleton through a variety
of mechanisms. Among them, there is increasing evidence
for a role of DNA methylation and other epigenetic mechanisms.
Indeed, several studies of human cohorts and experimental
models showed that social deprivation is associated
with changes in the methylation pattern of a number of genes,
including some involved in stress and inflammatory responses.
The influence of socioeconomic factors may be important
not only during postnatal life but also in utero and may
be transmitted to future generations by its direct effect on
peripheral and target tissues and perhaps through epigenetic
inheritance. Although the exact relevance of these pathways in
humans has not been fully elucidated yet, they bring attention
to the influences of social factors on the skeletal health of the
individuals and their descendants. Therefore, they also bring
forward our responsibility for both present and future
generations.
