Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Osteoporosis is a metabolic disease that is characterised by low mineral bone density (BMD) and increased risk of fractures. Weight loss reduced BMD and increased risk of hip fractures, while it reduces in a weight gain. Osteoporosis fracture risk and BMI correlate more frequently denied in recent studies. The aim of this study was to examine relationship between BMI and BMD in a group of postmenopausal women.

Design: The study involved 100 postmenopusal women, aged 46 to 70 years (59.08±6.07). BMD was determined by DXA method (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) by Lunar Prodigy Advance Unit. BMD was measured at lumbal spine and both hips. BMI values were correlated with total T score values of the lumbal spine and both hips, as well as total T score values of spine and hip.

Results have shown that BMI was normal in 18% subjects, 1st grade obesity was found in 52%, 2nd grade obesity in 23%, 3rd grade obesity in 7% of subjects. Median BMI value was found in 28.27±4.12. Median lumbal spine T score was −2.19 S.D. ±1.25 , and hip T score −1.11 S.D ±0.95. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between BMI and BMD of hip (r=0.01), whereas between BMI and BMD of lumbal spine there was no. There was, statistically significant correlation (r=0.01) between BMD values of lumbal spine and hip.

Conclusion: In postmenopausal women BMI is more important predictor of hip BMD, as compared to spine BMD. BMD of hip is increased with increase of BMI in postmenopausal women, what indicates that incidence of fracture of the hip decrease in women with obesity. A lack of correlation between BMI and BMD of spine might be due to predominant effect of lack of oestrogen and faster bone metabolism in spinal region.