The associations between body fat distribution and bone mineral density in the Oxford Biobank: a cross sectional study

ABSTRACT

Background

Body composition is associated with bone mineral density (BMD), but the precise associations between body fat distribution and BMD remain unclear. The regional adipose tissue depots have different metabolic profiles. We hypothesized that they would have independent associations with BMD.

Research Design and Methods

We used data from 4,900 healthy individuals aged 30–50 years old from the Oxford Biobank to analyze associations between regional fat mass, lean mass and total BMD.

Results

Total lean mass was strongly positively associated with BMD. An increase in total BMD was observed with increasing mass of all the fat depots, as measured either by anthropometry or DXA, when accounting for lean mass. However, on adjustment for both total fat mass and lean mass, fat depot specific associations emerged. Increased android and visceral adipose tissue mass in men, and increased visceral adipose tissue mass in women, were associated with lower BMD.

Conclusions

Fat distribution alters the association between adiposity and BMD.

KEYWORDS:

• Obesity
• bone mineral density
• body fat distribution
• dual energy x-ray absorptiometry
• lean mass

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Author contributions

C Hilton, M Neville and F Karpe designed the study. SK Vasan performed data analysis and generated the tables. All authors were involved in data interpretation and writing the manuscript and approved the final version. All authors agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Additional information

Funding

This paper received funding from the Medical Research Council and Novo Nordisk Uk Research Foundation under grant number G1001959, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) under grant number RG/17/1/32663 and the Swedish Research Council.