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A positive correlation between blood glucose level and bone mineral density in Taiwan

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Abstract

Summary

This study was undertaken to assess the effect of blood glucose on BMD and interactions with age, sex, and BMI in a Taiwanese population. Both obese and non-obese people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) had higher BMD, at lumbar spine and femoral neck, compared with healthy subjects. In addition, the prevalence of osteoporosis significantly decreased with blood sugar and HbA1c.

Purpose

This study was undertaken to assess the effect of blood glucose on BMD and possible interactions with age, sex, and BMI in a Taiwanese population.

Patients and methods

This study was a retrospective cross-sectional study using data from the Health Examination Database of Changhua Christian Hospital. Data on BMD of the lumbar spine and femoral neck were obtained by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and other relevant clinical and laboratory data were recorded.

Results

The type 2 diabetes (T2DM) group had a higher BMD than the controls. When comparing the prevalence of osteoporosis between subjects by glucose and HbA1c level, the prevalence of osteoporosis significantly decreased with blood glucose and HbA1c. In addition, the BMD of the lumbar spine and femoral neck was higher in the T2DM group than in the controls. Osteoporosis was negatively associated with DM, BMI, and drinking, but positively associated with age, female gender, previous fracture history, and other diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. The association between diabetes and osteoporosis remained statistically significant after adjusting for the above factors. T2DM was associated with lower odds of osteoporosis in both obese (OR = 0.77) and non-obese (OR = 0.63) (p for interaction = 0.555).

Conclusions

Both obese and non-obese people with T2DM had higher BMD, at lumbar spine and femoral neck, compared with healthy subjects. In addition, the prevalence of osteoporosis significantly decreased with blood glucose and HbA1c.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Professor Yu-Jun Chang (Epidemiology and Biostatistics Center) for the statistical consultation. We also thank the diabetic patients and normal controls for their participation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua County, Taiwan

    Kun-Hong Li, Yen-Tze Liu, Yu-Wen Yang, Ying-Li Lin & I-Ching Lin

  2. Department of Pharmacy, Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua County, Taiwan

    Min-Ling Hung

  3. School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung City, Taiwan

    I-Ching Lin

  4. School of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

    I-Ching Lin

Authors
  1. Kun-Hong Li
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  2. Yen-Tze Liu
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  3. Yu-Wen Yang
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  4. Ying-Li Lin
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  5. Min-Ling Hung
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  6. I-Ching Lin
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Contributions

K-H Li did the main work of preparing the manuscript. M-L Hung contributed to the data collection. Y-T Liu, Y-W Yang, Y-L Lin, and I-C Lin contributed to the design of the study and drafting of the manuscript. All authors contributed toward data analysis, drafting, and critically revising the paper and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to I-Ching Lin.

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Li, KH., Liu, YT., Yang, YW. et al. A positive correlation between blood glucose level and bone mineral density in Taiwan. Arch Osteoporos 13, 78 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11657-018-0494-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11657-018-0494-9

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