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Associations between adiposity, hormones, and gains in height, whole-body height-adjusted bone size, and size-adjusted bone mineral content in 8- to 11-year-old children

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Abstract

Summary

We examined fat-independent associations of hormones with height and whole-body bone size and mineral content in 633 school children. IGF-1 and osteocalcin predict growth in height, while fat, osteocalcin, and in girls also, IGF-1 predict growth in bone size. Leptin and ghrelin are inversely associated with bone size in girls.

Introduction

Obesity causes larger bone size and bone mass, but the role of hormones in this up-regulation of bone in obesity is not well elucidated. We examined longitudinal associations between baseline body fat mass (FM), and fat-independent fasting levels of ghrelin, adiponectin, leptin, insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1), osteocalcin, and intact parathyroid hormone, and subsequent changes in height and in whole-body height-adjusted bone area “BAheight” and size-adjusted bone mineral content “BMCsize” in 8- to 11-year-olds.

Methods

Analyses were carried out separately for boys (n = 325) and girls (n = 308) including data from baseline, 3 and 6 months from OPUS School Meal Study.

Results

In both sexes: gain in BAheight was positively associated with baseline FM (≥2.05 cm2/kg, both p ≤ 0.003). Furthermore, gain in height was positively associated with baseline IGF-1 (≥0.02 cm/ng/ml, p = 0.001) and osteocalcin (≥0.13 cm/ng/ml, p ≤ 0.009); and gain in BAheight was positively associated with baseline osteocalcin (≥0.35 cm2/ng/ml, p ≤ 0.019). In girls only, gain in BAheight was also positively associated with baseline IGF-1 (0.06 cm2/ng/ml, p = 0.017) and inversely associated with both baseline ghrelin (−0.01 cm2/pg/ml, p = 0.001) and leptin (−1.21 cm2/μg/ml, p = 0.005). In boys, gain in BMCsize was positively associated with osteocalcin (0.18 g/ng/ml, p = 0.030).

Conclusions

This large longitudinal study suggests that in 8- to 11-year-old children, IGF-1 and osteocalcin predict growth in height, while FM, osteocalcin, and in girls also, IGF-1 predict growth in BAheight. Fat-independent inverse associations of leptin and ghrelin with BAheight in girls’ are contrary to proposed growth-stimulating effects of leptin. Osteocalcin in boys predicts gain in BMCsize.

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Abbreviations

BA:

Bone area

BAheight :

Height-adjusted bone area

BMC:

Bone mineral content

BMCsize :

Size-adjusted bone mineral content

BMI:

Body mass index

CI:

Confidence interval

DXA:

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry

FM:

Body fat mass

GH:

Growth hormone

IGF-1:

Insulin-like growth factor 1

iPTH:

Intact parathyroid hormone

IQR:

Interquartile range

LM:

Lean mass

OPUS:

Acronym for ‘Optimal well-being, development and health for Danish children through a healthy New Nordic Diet’

PTH:

Parathyroid hormone

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Acknowledgements

We thank families and schools for their participation. The OPUS study was financed by a grant from the Nordea Foundation (grant number 02-2010-478 0389). A complete list of food suppliers providing full or partial food sponsorships to the study can be found at the website: http://foodoflife.ku.dk/opus/wp/skolemadsprojektet/leverandorer. Sources of funding and donation had no role in the trial design; collection, analysis, or interpretation of data or decision to publish.

Conflict of interest

SD, CR, AL, CTD, RAP, LBS, KKO, KFM, and CM declare no conflicts of interest. AA is consultant/member of advisory boards for the Dutch Beer Knowledge Institute, NL, Global Dairy Platform, USA, McCain Foods Limited, USA, McDonald’s, USA. He is recipient of honoraria and travel grants as speaker for a wide range of Danish and international concerns.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 26, 1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark

    S. Dalskov, C. Ritz, A. Larnkjær, C. T. Damsgaard, R. A. Petersen, L. B. Sørensen, A. Astrup, K. F. Michaelsen & C. Mølgaard

  2. MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK

    K. K. Ong

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  1. S. Dalskov
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  2. C. Ritz
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  3. A. Larnkjær
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Correspondence to S. Dalskov.

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Dalskov, S., Ritz, C., Larnkjær, A. et al. Associations between adiposity, hormones, and gains in height, whole-body height-adjusted bone size, and size-adjusted bone mineral content in 8- to 11-year-old children. Osteoporos Int 27, 1619–1629 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-015-3428-z

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