Lean mass but not fat mass is associated with bone health in postmenopausal Chinese-Singaporean women. — ASN Events
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Lean mass but not fat mass is associated with bone health in postmenopausal Chinese-Singaporean women. (#168)

Marlena C Kruger 1 , Diana Cabrera 1 , John T Totman 2 , Maria Kalimeri 2 , Francesca Leek 2 , Nan Xin Wang 3 , Christiani Jeyakumar Henry 3
  1. Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
  2. Clinical Imaging Research Centre, A*STAR-NUS , Singapore
  3. Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, A*STAR-NUS , Singapore

Background: Epidemiological studies predict that Asia will have a significant burden of health over the next fifty years due to reduction in vitamin D status and poor bone health. In this study we examine body composition, bone mineral status, bone biomarkers and vitamin D status in postmenopausal Chinese-Singaporean (C-S) women.

Methods: Ninety seven postmenopausal C-S women (average age 60 years old) were recruited. Body composition (Lean Body Mass – LBM – and Fat Mass – FM), areal bone mineral content (aBMC) and areal bone mineral density (aBMD) of the lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN) were measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA, Discovery A, Hologic, WI, USA). Volumetric bone mineral content (vBMC) of the FN and bone mineral density (vBMD) of the FN and the third lumbar vertebra (L3) were calculated with Quantitative Computed Tomography (QCT, Siemens mCT, Erlangen, Germany) using a commercial phantom (Mindways QCT Pro, TX, USA). Plasma were collected for measuring 25 (OH) vitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), parathyroid hormone (PTH) and C-telopeptide of Type I collagen (CTx-1).

Results: Mean 25(OH)D3 levels were 60nmol/L. CTx-1 levels were significantly higher (p=0.025) and LS as well as FN aBMD significantly lower (p=0.00) in the non-healthy women. PTH as well as CTx-I levels were negatively associated with FN aBMD. Regression analysis indicated that LBM could explain 13% and 10% of the variation in LS and FN aBMD respectively, 20% of the variation in FN aBMC and 15.8% of the variation in FN vBMC. FM showed weak correlation with the measured parameters. Strong correlations between BMD and BMC measured using DXA and QCT were observed (p=0.00).

Conclusions: Though average vitamin D status was sufficient, a significant number of the women had low bone density and increased bone resorption. LBM but not FM was significantly associated with LS and FN BMD.

  1. [1] World Health Organization. Technical report: Assessment of fracture risk and its application to screening for postmenopausal osteoporosis: a report of a WHO study group. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization, 1994.