A Review of the Relationship Between Insulin and Bone Health
Insulin, a key hormone primarily involved in glucose metabolism, has emerged as a crucial modulator of bone metabolism. Increasing evidence suggests that insulin influences bone health, but its precise mechanism of action remains unestablished. This review explores the intricate relationship between...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Biomedicines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/6/1504 |
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| author | Sivasree Ravindran Sok Kuan Wong Nur-Vaizura Mohamad Kok-Yong Chin |
| author_facet | Sivasree Ravindran Sok Kuan Wong Nur-Vaizura Mohamad Kok-Yong Chin |
| author_sort | Sivasree Ravindran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Insulin, a key hormone primarily involved in glucose metabolism, has emerged as a crucial modulator of bone metabolism. Increasing evidence suggests that insulin influences bone health, but its precise mechanism of action remains unestablished. This review explores the intricate relationship between insulin and bone health, as well as elucidating the mechanism of action involved. Animal models of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) demonstrated distinct skeletal alterations, largely attributed to differences in insulin availability and associated metabolic dysfunction. Insulin deficiency in T1DM was associated with the deterioration of trabecular and cortical bone, whereas insulin resistance in T2DM primarily compromised trabecular bone quality. The route, frequency, and duration of insulin administration have been shown to influence bone-related outcomes. Studies involving insulin receptor silencing have suggested that insulin signalling is essential for normal bone development and maintenance. In humans, inconsistent findings on the effects of circulating insulin levels and insulin resistance on bone health were mainly attributed to heterogeneity in age, gender, metabolic status, study designs, population characteristics, and assessment methods. This review also highlights current knowledge gaps and underscores the need for longitudinal studies and mechanistic research. A clearer understanding of the insulin–bone axis may guide the development of targeted strategies to mitigate skeletal complications in individuals with diabetes mellitus. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e9d18c10468c4941bdb5094f2e772cfa |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2227-9059 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biomedicines |
| spelling | doaj-art-e9d18c10468c4941bdb5094f2e772cfa2025-08-20T03:26:20ZengMDPI AGBiomedicines2227-90592025-06-01136150410.3390/biomedicines13061504A Review of the Relationship Between Insulin and Bone HealthSivasree Ravindran0Sok Kuan Wong1Nur-Vaizura Mohamad2Kok-Yong Chin3Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, MalaysiaDepartment of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, MalaysiaCentre for Drug and Herbal Development, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, MalaysiaDepartment of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur 56000, MalaysiaInsulin, a key hormone primarily involved in glucose metabolism, has emerged as a crucial modulator of bone metabolism. Increasing evidence suggests that insulin influences bone health, but its precise mechanism of action remains unestablished. This review explores the intricate relationship between insulin and bone health, as well as elucidating the mechanism of action involved. Animal models of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) demonstrated distinct skeletal alterations, largely attributed to differences in insulin availability and associated metabolic dysfunction. Insulin deficiency in T1DM was associated with the deterioration of trabecular and cortical bone, whereas insulin resistance in T2DM primarily compromised trabecular bone quality. The route, frequency, and duration of insulin administration have been shown to influence bone-related outcomes. Studies involving insulin receptor silencing have suggested that insulin signalling is essential for normal bone development and maintenance. In humans, inconsistent findings on the effects of circulating insulin levels and insulin resistance on bone health were mainly attributed to heterogeneity in age, gender, metabolic status, study designs, population characteristics, and assessment methods. This review also highlights current knowledge gaps and underscores the need for longitudinal studies and mechanistic research. A clearer understanding of the insulin–bone axis may guide the development of targeted strategies to mitigate skeletal complications in individuals with diabetes mellitus.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/6/1504diabetes mellitusinsulinosteoblastosteoclastosteoporosis |
| spellingShingle | Sivasree Ravindran Sok Kuan Wong Nur-Vaizura Mohamad Kok-Yong Chin A Review of the Relationship Between Insulin and Bone Health Biomedicines diabetes mellitus insulin osteoblast osteoclast osteoporosis |
| title | A Review of the Relationship Between Insulin and Bone Health |
| title_full | A Review of the Relationship Between Insulin and Bone Health |
| title_fullStr | A Review of the Relationship Between Insulin and Bone Health |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Review of the Relationship Between Insulin and Bone Health |
| title_short | A Review of the Relationship Between Insulin and Bone Health |
| title_sort | review of the relationship between insulin and bone health |
| topic | diabetes mellitus insulin osteoblast osteoclast osteoporosis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/13/6/1504 |
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