Glyphosate exposure, bone mineral density, osteoporosis, and fractures in the United States population

Abstract Purpose Following reports of an adverse link between glyphosate and bone mineral density (BMD), this cross-sectional study extended the investigation between glyphosate exposure and BMD to include osteoporosis, and fractures, with a focus on the high risk, post-menopausal female subgroup. Methods Cross-sectional data from 2,710 participants of the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey aged 8–59 years from 2013 to 2018 were used to assess associations between urinary glyphosate concentration (µg/L) and BMD (g/cm 2 ) was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), while osteoporosis and fractures were self-reported. Linear and logistic regression analyses were adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, BMI, smoking status, and income. Results There was a negative association between glyphosate and BMD in the entire population (Whole Body BMD slope = -0.018; 95% CI = -0.027, -0.010; p < 0.001; Lumbar Spine BMD slope = -0.019; 95% CI = -0.030, -0.007; p = 0.002). In the high-risk, post-menopausal female subgroup, there was an inverse relationship (Whole Body BMD slope = -0.044; 95% CI = -0.076, -0.012; p = 0.009; Lumbar Spine BMD slope = -0.048; 95% CI = -0.101, 0.004, p = 0.069). Additionally, post-menopausal females with higher glyphosate had greater odds of self-reported osteoporosis (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.57; 95% CI = 1.24, 5.34; p = 0.011) and of self-reported fracture (AOR = 2.14; 95% CI = 1.28, 3.58, p = 0.004). Conclusions Results are internally consistent and align with existing literature concerning toxicity of glyphosate on bone and extend it to include adverse impact on osteoporosis and fractures. Given the cross-sectional design and single point of sampling, longitudinal studies with repeated sampling are recommended to evaluate causation.