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Sex hormone levels as determinants of bone mineral density and osteoporosis in Vietnamese women and men

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Abstract

This study sought to investigate the prevalence of osteoporosis and the role of sex hormone levels in the determination of bone mineral density (BMD) and osteoporosis in a Vietnamese population of women and men. The cross-sectional study involved 269 women and 222 men aged 13–83 years, who were randomly selected from urban and rural areas in northern Vietnam. Serum concentrations of estradiol and testosterone were analyzed, and BMD was measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry. We found that the prevalence of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women was 18, 17, and 37 % for the femoral neck, total hip, and lumbar spine, respectively. For men aged 50 years or older, the corresponding values were 8, 7, and 12 %. In men, the most important predictors of BMD for the femoral neck and total hip were age, body mass index, and serum levels of estradiol. For the BMD of the lumbar spine, testosterone also had a significant influence. Determinants of osteoporosis in men for the total hip and lumbar spine were age, weight, and serum concentrations of estradiol and testosterone. In postmenopausal women, age, weight, and residence (urban vs rural) were the most important predictors of BMD and osteoporosis. For all women (including those of reproductive age), serum levels of estradiol were also significant. These data suggest that the prevalence of osteoporosis in the Vietnamese population is high also in men, and that estradiol levels are essential for bone mass in both men and women. The results should have clinical implications and increase awareness of an important health issue within Vietnamese society.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Sida for research funds, the Swedish Research Council (20324 to A.L.H.), Hanoi Medical University, Dinh Tien Hoang Institute of Medicine, Bach Mai Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, and the Garvan Institute. We are grateful to all members of the Friendship and Science for Health group for assistance in data collection. We especially thank Nguyen Thu Hoai for technical assistance in the analysis of estradiol and testosterone, and Dang Ngoc Dzung, Hoang Hoa Son, Le Tuan Thanh, Pham Hong Duong, and Vu Thanh Thuy for logistical arrangements in some parts of the study. We also thank Elisabeth Berg for statistical support.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, 171-76, Stockholm, Sweden

    Huong T. T. Nguyen, Bo von Schoultz & Angelica L. Hirschberg

  2. Department of Physiology, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Huong T. T. Nguyen & Pham T. M. Duc

  3. Dinh Tien Hoang Institute of Medicine, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Huong T. T. Nguyen & Trinh X. Thang

  4. Department of Rheumatology, Bach Mai Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam

    Tran T. Chau

  5. Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Trinh X. Thang

  6. Osteoporosis and Bone Biology Program, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Tuan V. Nguyen

  7. School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia

    Tuan V. Nguyen

Authors
  1. Huong T. T. Nguyen
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  2. Bo von Schoultz
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  3. Tuan V. Nguyen
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  4. Trinh X. Thang
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  6. Pham T. M. Duc
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  7. Angelica L. Hirschberg
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Correspondence to Huong T. T. Nguyen.

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Nguyen, H.T.T., von Schoultz, B., Nguyen, T.V. et al. Sex hormone levels as determinants of bone mineral density and osteoporosis in Vietnamese women and men. J Bone Miner Metab 33, 658–665 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00774-014-0629-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00774-014-0629-z

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