['To determine if plasma levels of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) across the lifespan correlate with bone density or plasma osteocalcin.', 'Cross-sectional study.', 'Forty-five healthy community-dwelling volunteers aged 25-74 years. Exclusion criteria were smoking use of medications known to affect bone metabolism (corticosteroids, heparin, thyroxine, thiazides, and anticonvulsants), and presence of chronic inflammatory disease.', 'Bone density was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the femoral neck and lumbar spine. Plasma levels of IL-6 and osteocalcin were determined by ELISA and RIA, respectively.', 'Plasma levels of IL-6 increased with advancing age (P < .0001) and correlated with postmenopausal status (P < .0001). No correlation was observed between plasma IL-6 level and bone mineral density at either the lumbar spine or femoral neck, and none was observed with plasma osteocalcin.'] Do elevated plasma levels of interleukin-6 in postmenopausal women correlate with bone density?