Skip to Content

Due to staff departures from the Salida VA Clinic, the clinic hours will temporarily be reduced starting on October 7. The new clinic hours will be Tuesday-Thursday from 9am-12pm and 12:30-3:30pm. Lab draw appointments will be available on Tuesday mornings only.

Christine Swanson, MD, MCR

Christine Swanson MD, MCR

EC GRECC Investigator; Associate Professor, Medicine-Endocrinology/Metabolism/Diabetes, Ludeman Family Center for Women's Health Research

VA Eastern Colorado health care

Christine Swanson, MD, MCR is an Eastern Colorado GRECC Investigator

Title: EC GRECC Investigator; Associate Professor, Medicine-Endocrinology/Metabolism/Diabetes, Ludeman Family Center for Women's Health Research

University of Colorado webpage

An inadequate amount of poorly timed (daytime) sleep can impair optimal health and are risk factors for metabolic conditions like diabetes and obesity. We were the first to report that an altered sleep schedule (similar to the stresses experienced during rotating shift work) could negatively impact bone health in men by decreasing a marker of bone formation. Over time, less bone formed could lead to bone loss, osteoporosis, and a higher risk of fracture. Women are more commonly affected by osteoporosis than men, however, the effects of altered sleep timing and duration on bone health in women are unknown. This research, made possible by the Ludeman Family Center for Women's Health Research, will investigate if the same altered sleep schedule negatively impacts bone health in women, as it does in men. If sleep disruption negatively impacts bone metabolism it could impact women’s health by altering the approach to the prevention, evaluation and treatment of osteoporosis.

Research Interest

Evidence-based exercise interventions for Veterans with knee osteoarthritis
Non-pharmacological interventions for managing chronic diseases (specifically arthritis) in older adults

Recent Publications

2024

Beavers KM, Wolle BR, Ard JD, Beavers DP, Biehl O, Brubaker PH, Burghardt AJ, Calderone CT, Carballido-Gamio J, Fanning J, Kohrt WM, Love M, MacLean CM, Nicklas BJ, Stapleton J, Swanson CM, Weaver AA, Worden M, Wherry SJ. The Bone, Exercise, Alendronate, and Caloric Restriction (BEACON) trial design and methods. Contemp Clin Trials. 2024 Sep 17;146:107692. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2024.107692. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39293778.

2023

Swanson CM, Krohn K, Wiseman A, Rothman MS. New Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) Antibody Formation and Creatinine Elevation With Abaloparatide in Kidney Transplant Recipient. JBMR Plus. 2023 Sep 21;7(12):e10814. doi: 10.1002/jbm4.10814. PMCID: PMC10731105. 
PMID: 38130769.

Armento A, Heronemus M, Truong D, Swanson C. Bone Health in Young Athletes: a Narrative Review of the Recent Literature. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2023 Aug;21(4):447-458. doi: 10.1007/s11914-023-00796-5. Epub 2023 Jun 8. PMCID: PMC10248337. 
PMID: 37289381.

2022

Sabri SA, Chavarria JC, Ackert-Bicknell C, Swanson C, Burger E. Osteoporosis: An Update on Screening, Diagnosis, Evaluation, and Treatment. Orthopedics. 2023 Jan-Feb;46(1):e20-e26. doi: 10.3928/01477447-20220719-03. Epub 2022 Jul 25. PMCID: PMC10084730. 
PMID: 35876780.

Swanson C. Sleep Disruption and Bone Health. Curr Osteoporos Rep. 2022 Jun;20(3):202-212. doi: 10.1007/s11914-022-00733-y. Epub 2022 Apr 30. 
PMID: 35488985.

Swanson CM, Shanbhag P, Tussey EJ, Rynders CA, Wright KP Jr, Kohrt WM. Bone Turnover Markers After Six Nights of Insufficient Sleep and Subsequent Recovery Sleep in Healthy Men. Calcif Tissue Int. 2022 Feb 8. doi: 10.1007/s00223-022-00950-8. Epub ahead of print. 
PMID: 35133471.

Last updated: