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Bone mass in Saudi women aged 20–40 years: the association with obesity and vitamin D deficiency

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Abstract

Summary

This study describes that low bone density is prevalent in premenopausal Saudi women, especially women of normal weight and vitamin D deficiency. Although BMD is higher in obese young women, this may not be beneficial later in life in conjunction with persistent vitamin D deficiency.

Introduction

Not attaining peak bone mass is one crucial factor contributing to the risk of developing osteoporosis and suffering fractures in later life. The objectives of this study were to describe the normal range of bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) in premenopausal Saudi women in relation to obesity and vitamin D insufficiency.

Methods

A cross-sectional study involving 312 healthy Saudi women aged 20–40. All women were clinically examined. BMD (g/cm2) and BMC (g) assessed at total body (TB), femoral neck (FN) and lumbar spine (LS) were performed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Obesity was defined as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 and vitamin D deficiency defined as 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L.

Results

Almost half of the studied women were obese, and the majority (86.2%) were deficient in vitamin D. Mean BMD in TB 1.060 ± 0.091, FN 0.918 ± 0.153 and LS 1.118 ± 0.123 g/cm2, while TB-BMC 2077 ± 272 g. When classified by BMI, the proportion with low bone density was 2–3 times higher among the normal weight compared to the obese women, p < 0.001. In the cohort overall, ~ 19% of these young premenopausal women had osteopenia or osteoporosis at the femoral neck, but 26% in normal weight, vitamin D deficient women.

Conclusion

This study shows low bone density in premenopausal Saudi women, particularly those with normal weight. While obesity appears to confer some protection against vitamin D deficiency at this age, this is assumed to change in later life.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Prof. Mohammed-Saleh Ardawi, Director of the Center of Excellence for Osteoporosis Research at King Abdulaziz University, for his supervision and support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biochemistry Department, Preparatory Year Program, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, 21442, Saudi Arabia

    Mai Albaik

  2. Center of Excellence for Osteoporosis Research, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, 21589, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Mai Albaik & Jalaluddin A. Khan

  3. Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia

    Jalaluddin A. Khan

  4. Biology Department, Faculty of Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia

    Ikhlas Sindi

  5. Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Clinical and Molecular Osteoporosis Research Unit, Department of Orthopaedics, Lund University, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden

    Kristina E. Akesson & Fiona E. A. McGuigan

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Correspondence to Mai Albaik.

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Mai Albaik, Jalaluddin Khan, Ikhlas Sindi, Kristina Akesson and Fiona McGuigan declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Albaik, M., Khan, J.A., Sindi, I. et al. Bone mass in Saudi women aged 20–40 years: the association with obesity and vitamin D deficiency. Arch Osteoporos 17, 123 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11657-022-01164-z

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