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Coffee Drinking and the Odds of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis in Middle-Aged and Older Americans: A Cross-Sectional Study in NHANES 2005–2014

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Abstract

The study investigates the association of coffee consumption and odds of osteoporosis/osteopenia among individuals older than 50 years in the United States. In NHANES 2005–2014, drinking ≤ 2 cups(16 oz) of coffee per day can reduce the risk of osteoporosis/osteopenia at the femoral neck and lumbar spine in US adults. Previous epidemiological studies revealed that daily coffee intake reduced the incidence of a cluster of metabolic diseases, however, the link between coffee consumption and prevalence of osteoporosis/osteopenia still remain inconclusive and awaits further confirmation. Based on data collection from 2005 to 2014 survey cycles, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a sample size of 8789 participants aged 50 and above completing two nonconsecutive 24-h dietary recalls were eventually enrolled for analysis. Associations between coffee intake and BMD were assessed. A lower odds of having femoral neck osteopenia/osteoporosis (FOO) was observed in participants with moderate intake of coffee (≤ 2 cups per day), rather than other beverages (OR 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72–0.95; p = 0.01). Moreover, significant associations existed between daily caffeine intake and both FOO and lumbar-spine osteopenia/osteoporosis (LOO). Even after adjusting for decaffeinated coffee, tea, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), and coffee consumption, osteopenia and osteoporosis the odds remained lower at both femoral and neck levels. Our data suggest moderate habitual coffee intake (≤ 2 cups coffee/day) would have protective effects against osteoporosis/osteopenia of femoral neck and spine, among US adults over the age of 50.

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Abbreviations

AMPM:

USDA Computerized Automated Multiple Pass Method

BMD:

Bone mineral density

BMI:

Body mass index

CDC:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CVD:

Cardiovascular diseases

DGAC:

Dietary Guidelines for Americans

DHHS:

Department of Health and Human Services

DXA:

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

eBMD:

BMD estimated

FNDDS:

Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies

FOO:

Femoral-neck osteopenia/osteoporosis

GPAQ:

Global Physical Activity Questionnaire

LOO:

Lumbar-spine osteopenia/osteoporosis

MEC:

Mobile examination center

MET:

Metabolic equivalent

HANES:

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

NCHS:

National Center for Health Statistics

PD:

Parkinson disease

PIR:

Poverty income ratio

PSU:

Primary sampling unit; quantitative ultrasound

SD:

Standard deviations

SSBs:

Sugar-sweetened beverages

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to all of the research participants and their partners for their invaluable assistance.

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No funds or grants was received during this study.

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Conceptualization, TZ; literature research, JX; statistical analysis, JX; raw study data interpretation, TZ and JX; original draft preparation, JX; review and revision, TZ. Both JX and TZ approved of the final manuscript, and were responsible for the final decision to approve it for publication.

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Correspondence to Tianyu Zhai.

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JX and TZ declare they have no competing interest in relation to this study.

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Xu, J., Zhai, T. Coffee Drinking and the Odds of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis in Middle-Aged and Older Americans: A Cross-Sectional Study in NHANES 2005–2014. Calcif Tissue Int 114, 348–359 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-024-01184-6

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