The effects of obesity on bone mineral density in women with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

Podstawka Jakub; Emilia Babula; Poprawa Iga; Żuk-Łapan Aleksandra; Julia Latocha; Zuzanna Szymańska; Domański Jan; Bernadetta Kaluza; Edward Franek

doi:10.1530/endoabs.99.EP544

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Endocrine Abstracts (2024) 99 EP544 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.99.EP544

ECE2024 Eposter Presentations Calcium and Bone (102 abstracts)

The effects of obesity on bone mineral density in women with Ehlers–Danlos syndrome

Podstawka Jakub ¹ , Emilia Babula ¹ , Poprawa Iga ¹ , Żuk-Łapan Aleksandra ¹ , Julia Latocha ¹ , Zuzanna Szymańska ¹ , Domański Jan ¹ , Bernadetta Kaluza ¹ & Edward Franek ^1,2

Err

Author affiliations

¹National Medical Institute of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration in Warsaw, Warszawa, Poland; ²Mossakowski Medical Research Centre Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Human Epigenetics, Warszawa, Poland

Background: Ehlers–Danlos syndrome is a group of genetic diseases characterized by alterations in connective tissue structure, which may lead to increased bone mass loss and predispose to osteopenia and osteoporosis. The effect of obesity on bone mass loss is inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between obesity and bone mineral density (BMD) in women with Ehlers–Danlos syndrome.

Material and methods: The study involved a prospective assessment of 30 female patients, aged 20–53 years, with hypermobile or classical Ehlers–Danlos syndrome. All patients underwent calcium and phosphorus metabolism testing, BMD scans of the femoral neck and lumbar spine, and had their body mass index (BMI) calculated as the body weight [kg]/(height [m])². The patients were divided into two subgroups: those without obesity (BMI <30 kg/m²) (group 1, n=21) and those with obesity (BMI>30 kg/m²) (group 2, n=9).

Results: Groups 1 and 2 showed no significant differences in terms of bone turnover markers, such as bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (9.37± 2.76 µg/l vs 9.9±2.6 µg/l, P=0.54), beta-crossLaps (CTX 0.421±0.19 ng/ml vs 0.31±0.13 ng/ml, P=0.1), and osteocalcin (22.3±7.57 ng/ml vs 16.5±5.3 ng/ml, P=0.06), as well as femoral neck BMD (0.92±0.11 vs 0.97±0.16, P=0.49); however, differed significantly in terms of lumbar spine BMD (0.91±0.11 vs 1.06±0.11, P=0.007). The study showed no significant correlation between the BMI and femoral neck BMD (r_s 0.15, P=0.44), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (r_s 0.27, P=0.15), CTX (r_s -0.12, P=0.54), and osteocalcin (r_s -0.18, P=0.34); however, there was a significant correlation between BMI and lumbar spine BMD (r_s 0.48, P=0.007).

Conclusions: The study showed a statistically significant, positive correlation between BMI and lumbar spine BMD; however, no such correlation was observed between BMI and either bone turnover markers or femoral neck BMD, which indicates a complex nature of the effects of obesity on BMD, also in patients with Ehlers–Danlos syndrome.