Trends in bone mineral density among nutritional status categories of Vojvodina elderly population

Abstract

Introduction/Objective Low bone mineral density (BMD) is commonly associated with alterations of nutritional status. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the prevalence of low BMD and its associated nutritional risk factors in Vojvodina population and to use linear regression equations to predict the BMD by using a simple marker of nutritional status, body mass index (BMI).

Methods In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, the study population included subjects who were undergoing assessment of BMD between January and December 2017, and who have met the study inclusion criteria. A total of 1974 patients (1866 women and 108 men) were included in this analysis of nutritional status according to anthropometry and BMI index, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) measurements of BMD of the femoral neck and lumbar spine. The relationship between BMI and BMD was analyzed by linear regression equation.

Results Median age was 63 (56–70) years. Considering nutritional status category, there were 40% overweight, 31% obese and 29% normal weight subjects. In most of the sample, the subjects had low BMD, 37% had osteopenia, and 25% had osteoporosis. In both bone areas we observed trends of lowering BMD as the subjects BMI decreased. Subjects with osteoporosis are more prone to BMI depended BMD changes, concerning subjects with osteopenia and normal BMD. In addition, normal weight subjects compared to overweight and obese had the highest prediction coefficients of BMI-depended changes on BMD.

Conclusion High prevalence of low BMD coexists with overweight and obese elderly females in Vojvodina. Prediction equations for the calculation of BMD can be used to evaluate the effect of BMI changes on BMD in clinical settings.

Keywords: bone mineral density; body mass index; osteoporosis; osteopenia; linear regression