Researchers investigated the effect of low dose silicon delivered as ch-OSA on markers of bone turnover and bone mineral density (BMD) during a 12-month, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 114 women with a mean age of 61 years and either osteopenia or osteoporosis completed the study.

The subjects were divided into four groups all of which supplemented their diet with 1000 mg of elemental calcium (CA) and 800 IU of vitamin D3 daily, which, according to lead researcher, Tim D. Spector, MD, FRCP, is the standard recommended dosages for osteopenia and osteoporosis. This was the only medication taken by the subjects in the placebo group. The three other groups also supplemented with either 3, 6, or 12 mg of elemental silicon as ch-OSA.

The researchers found that in all groups, there was wide variation in the changes to bone markers at six and 12 months compared to baseline so covariate analysis was used to adjust for baseline values. Specifically, Dr. Spector, who is a consultant rheumatologist and director of the Twin and Genetic Epidemiology Unit, at St. Thomas' Hospital In London, UK, said there was an overall trend for ch-OSA to confer some additional benefit to Ca/Vit D3 supplementation based onb improvements towel-established markers of bone formation such as Procollagen Type I N-terminal Propeptide (PINP), Bone Specific Alkaline Phosphatase (BAP), and Osteocalcin. Dr. Spector said the benefits were especially apparent when evaluating changes in PINP, the most sensitive bone formation marker, and resulted in significant improvements after 12 months amongst the subjects in the six and 12 mg silicon groups.

The researchers found that spinal BMD did not change significantly. However, subgroup analysis showed that subjects taking six mg of silicon per day, and whose femur T score was less than –1 at the start of the study, showed significant femoral neck BMD improvements.

"This study suggests that combined therapy of ch-OSA plus Ca/VIT D3 is a safe, well tolerated treatment that has a potentially beneficial effect on bone turnover, especially bone collagen, and possibly femoral BMD, compared to CA/Vit D3 alone," said Dr. Spector.


[Presentation title: Effect on Bone Turnover and BMD of Low Dose Oral Silicon as an adjunct to Calcium/Vitamin D3 in a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial. Abstract SA421]

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