The Relationship between Body Composition and Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women

Osteoporosis is a skeletal system disease that is characterized by the low bone mass. The major consequence of this disease is bone fractures that occur more in weightbearing areas such as vertebrae, femur and even non weight-bearing joints such as wrist. The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship of body composition and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. This cross-sectional study involved 50 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, aged between 45 and 65 years who were recruited from Sina hospital in Tabriz. Body mass, fat mass, lean body mass, and bone mineral density at the spine and femoral neck were measured. Skinfold thickness was determined by caliper. Bone mineral density was measured by DEXA at the spine and femoral neck. Association between parameters of body composition and bone mineral density analyzed using a multiple regression analysis. The body composition parameters indicated that only lean body mass had a significant relationship with osteoporosis in the femoral neck (R2 =0.271, P<0.05) and in the lumbar spine (R2=0.088, P<0.05). Our data indicated that from the body composition parameters, lean body mass is a powerful predictor of osteoporosis. Using this model, females at risk of osteoporosis can be identified; therefore early prevention and treatment are possible. This can also prevent unnecessary expenses of diagnostic procedures for people without the risks of osteoporosis.