Osteoporosis and diabetes mellitus: a modern viewpoint

The interrelationship between diabetes mellitus (DM) and bone disorder is still not fully understood. Whereas type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is characterized by decrease in bone density, a number of studies failed to discover such phenomenon in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), -or even uncovered some evidence for higher density, as measured against groups of control. At the very same time both types of DM are associated with elevated risk of bone fracture, which points out at some deterioration of bone tissue "quality". Current article discusses various mechanisms of bone damaging in DM, as well as possible causes for difference in the severity of bone disorders, known between the two types of DM. Regarding higher risk of foot fracture in patients with DM, we specifically address distal polyneuropathy as a plausible factor for bone tissue deterioration.