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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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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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00198-015-3428-z