Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Obesity and osteoporosis are two public health problems with an increasing prevalence and high impact on morbidity and mortality which, during the last two decades, have become major health threats worldwide. However, obesity has long been considered as a protective factor against osteoporosis. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the bone mineral density in obese patients followed at Mohammed VI university hospital.

Methods: Our study has included 35 patients followed for obesity. Bone mineram density was ordered in all patients.

Results: The mean age was 40 years, ranging between 21 and 69 years, 94.2% of our patients were female, mean body mass index was 43.9 kg/m² with an average waist circumference of 120 cm, over two thirds of the patients were morbidly obese, 31.4% had diabetes and 14.2% had hypertension, 18.1% of our female patients were postmenopausal. One female patient had osteopenia with a T score of −1.2 at the spine. The rest of our patients had normal bone mineral density with a mean T score at the spine and the femur of 0.65 and 1.39 respectively.

Conclusion: Obesity is associated with normal bone mineral density even in postmenopausal obese women, suggesting a protective effect of obesity against osteoporosis that was highlighted in several literature studies. That said, this beneficial effect should always be weighed against its adverse effects especially the metabolic and cardiovascular ones.