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Fat as a Friend or Foe of the Bone

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

The objective of this review is to summarize the literature on the prevalence and diagnosis of obesity and its metabolic profile, including bone metabolism, focusing on the main inflammatory and turnover bone mediators that better characterize metabolically healthy obesity phenotype, and to summarize the therapeutic interventions for obesity with their effects on bone health.

Recent Findings

Osteoporosis and fracture risk not only increase with age and menopause but also with metabolic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus. Thus, patients with high BMI may have a higher bone fragility and fracture risk. However, some obese individuals with healthy metabolic profiles seem to be less at risk of bone fracture.

Summary

Obesity has become an alarming disease with growing prevalence and multiple metabolic comorbidities, resulting in a significant burden on healthcare and increased mortality. The imbalance between increased food ingestion and decreased energy expenditure leads to pathological adipose tissue distribution and function, with increased secretion of proinflammatory markers and harmful consequences for body tissues, including bone tissue. However, some obese individuals seem to have a healthy metabolic profile and may not develop cardiometabolic disease during their lives. This healthy metabolic profile also benefits bone turnover and is associated with lower fracture risk.

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Data Availability

No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Department of Medicine, McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Elodie Gruneisen & Richard Kremer

  2. Bone, Muscle & Geroscience Group, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Richard Kremer & Gustavo Duque

  3. Dr. Joseph Kaufmann Chair in Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada

    Gustavo Duque

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  1. Elodie Gruneisen
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  2. Richard Kremer
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  3. Gustavo Duque
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E.G., R.K., and G.D. wrote the main manuscript text and E.G. and G.D. prepared figure 1. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Gustavo Duque.

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Gruneisen, E., Kremer, R. & Duque, G. Fat as a Friend or Foe of the Bone. Curr Osteoporos Rep (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11914-024-00864-4

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