Genetics of bone mineral density: Evidence for a major pleiotropic effect from an intercontinental study

BMD is a primary predictor of osteoporotic fracture, and its genetic determination is still unclear. This study showed that the correlation between BMD at different skeletal sites is caused by an underlying genetic structure of common genetic effects. In addition to possible shared (pleiotropic) genetic and environmental effects, each of the BMD variables may also be determined by site-specific genetic factors.