Publication:

Effect of body mass index on bone mineral density

Background Body mass index (BMI) is a good indicator for measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) which measures the density of minerals present in the bones using a special scan. BMD can be used to assess the strength of bones. Osteoporosis is a natural phenomenon of wear and tear. Obesity is an independent risk factor for low BMD. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is the most accurate way to measure BMD. DEXA is a gold standard technique for diagnosing osteoporosis. Hence the current study was designed to study the effect of BMI on BMD.

Methods The present retrospective study was conducted on the patients who were referred to the Department of Radio diagnosis for DEXA scan were selected. Eighty 50-80 years old men who attended various departments were included. BMI was measured as weight in kilograms by height in meters square. BMD was assessed by DEXA scan.

Results Eighty men in the age group of 50-80 (62.46 ± 7.63) years were included in the study. All men underwent a standard BMD scans of femoral neck and lumbar vertebrae (L2-L4) using a DEXA scan. BMI (28.1 ± 4.93) kg/m2 shows a highly significant positive correlation with BMD (171 ± -1.76 ± 1.71) SD, r = 0.53 p<0.01.

Conclusions The results suggest lower BMI is an important risk factor for the occurrence of low BMD. BMD can be used for screening test for osteoporosis.