Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Change in Lean Body Mass Is a Major Determinant of Change in Areal Bone Mineral Density of the Proximal Femur: A 12-Year Observational Study

  • Published:
Calcified Tissue International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Our objective was to assess the contribution of lean body mass (LBM) and fat body mass (FBM) to areal bone mineral density (aBMD) in women during the years surrounding menopause. We used a 12-year observational design. Participants included 75 Caucasian women who were premenopausal, 53 of whom were available for follow-up. There were two measurement periods: baseline and 12-year follow-up. At both measurement periods, bone mineral content and aBMD of the proximal femur, posterior-anterior lumbar spine, and total body was assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). LBM and FBM were derived from the total-body scans. General health, including current menopausal status, hormone replace therapy use, medication use, and physical activity, was assessed by questionnaires. At the end of the study, 44% of the women were postmenopausal. After controlling for baseline aBMD, current menopausal status, and current hormone replacement therapy, we found that change in LBM was independently associated with change in aBMD of the proximal femur (P = 0.001). The cross-sectional analyses also indicated that LBM was a significant determinant of aBMD of all three DXA-scanned sites at both baseline and follow-up. These novel longitudinal data highlight the important contribution of LBM to the maintenance of proximal femur bone mass at a key time in women’s life span, the years surrounding menopause.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bainbridge KE, Sowers M, Lin X, et al. (2004) Risk factors for low bone mineral density and the 6-year rate of bone loss among premenopausal and perimenopausal women. Osteoporos Int 15:439–446

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Mazess RB, Barden HS (1991) Bone density in premenopausal women: effects of age, dietary intake, physical activity, smoking, and birth-control pills. Am J Clin Nutr 53:132–142

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Macdonald HM, New SA, Campbell MK, et al. (2005) Influence of weight and weight change on bone loss in perimenopausal and early postmenopausal Scottish women. Osteoporos Int 16:163–171

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Tudor-Locke C, McColl RS (2000) Factors related to variation in premenopausal bone mineral status: a health promotion approach. Osteoporos Int 11:1–24

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ilich-Ernst J, Brownbill RA, Ludemann MA, et al. (2002) Critical factors for bone health in women across the age span: how important is muscle mass? Medscape Womens Health 7:2

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Frost H (2000) Muscle, bone, and the Utah paradigm: a 1999 overview. Med Sci Sports Exerc 32:911–917

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Reid IR (2002) Relationships among body mass, its components, and bone. Bone 31:547–555

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Reid IR, Cornish J, Baldock PA (2006) Nutrition-related peptides and bone homeostasis. J Bone Miner Res 21:495–500

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Young D, Hopper JL, Macinnis RJ, et al. (2001) Changes in body composition as determinants of longitudinal changes in bone mineral measures in 8 to 26-year-old female twins. Osteoporos Int 12:506–515

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Young D, Hopper JL, Nowson CA, et al. (1995) Determinants of bone mass in 10- to 26-year-old females: a twin study. J Bone Miner Res 10:558–567

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Reid IR, Plank LD, Evans MC (1992) Fat mass is an important determinant of whole body bone density in premenopausal women but not in men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 75:779–782

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Khosla S, Atkinson EJ, Riggs BL, et al. (1996) Relationship between body composition and bone mass in women. J Bone Miner Res 11:857–863

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Salamone LM, Glynn N, Black D, et al. (1995) Body composition and bone mineral density in premenopausal and early perimenopausal women. J Bone Miner Res 10:1762–1768

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Sowers MF, Kshirsagar A, Crutchfield MM, et al. (1992) Joint influence of fat and lean body composition compartments on femoral bone mineral density in premenopausal women. Am J Epidemiol 136:257–265

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Ijuin M, Douchi T, Matsuo T, et al. (2002) Difference in the effects of body composition on bone mineral density between pre- and postmenopausal women. Maturitas 43:239–244

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Douchi T, Oki T, Nakamura S, et al. (1997) The effect of body composition on bone density in pre- and postmenopausal women. Maturitas 27:55–60

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Martini G, Valenti R, Giovani S, et al. (1997) Age-related changes in body composition of healthy and osteoporotic women. Maturitas 27:25–33

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Flicker L, Hopper JL, Rodgers L, et al. (1995) Bone density determinants in elderly women: a twin study. J Bone Miner Res 10:1607–1613

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Compston JE, Bhambhani M, Laskey MA, et al. (1992) Body composition and bone mass in post-menopausal women. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 37:426–431

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Chen Z, Lohman TG, Stini WA, et al. (1997) Fat or lean tissue mass: which one is the major determinant of bone mineral mass in healthy postmenopausal women? J Bone Miner Res 12:144–151

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Reid I, Ames R, Evans M, et al. (1994) Determinants of the rate of bone loss in normal postmenopausal women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 79:950–954

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Wu F, Ames R, Clearwater J, et al. (2002) Prospective 10-year study of the determinants of bone density and bone loss in normal postmenopausal women, including the effect of hormone replacement therapy. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 56:703–711

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Reid IR, Ames R, Evans MC, et al. (1992) Determinants of total body and regional bone mineral density in normal postmenopausal women - a key role for fat mass. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 75:45–51

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Turner RT (1999) Mechanical signaling in the development of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Lupus 8:388–392

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Bailey DA, McKay HA, Mirwald RL, et al. (1999) A six-year longitudinal study of the relationship of physical activity to bone mineral accrual in growing children: the University of Saskatchewan Bone Mineral Accrual Study. J Bone Miner Res 14:1672–1679

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Glass G, Hopkins K (1995) Statistical Methods in Education and Psychology. Allyn and Bacon, Needham Heights, MA

    Google Scholar 

  27. Sowers M, Crutchfield M, Bandekar R, et al. (1998) Bone mineral density and its change in pre-and perimenopausal white women: the Michigan Bone Health Study. J Bone Miner Res 13:1134–1140

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Cummings S, Black D, Nevitt M, et al. (1993) Bone density at various sites for prediction of hip fractures. Lancet 341:72–75

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Harman SM, Naftolin F, Brinton EA, et al. (2005) Is the estrogen controversy over? Deconstructing the Women’s Health Initiative Study: a critical evaluation of the evidence. Ann NY Acad Sci 1052:43–56

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Stevenson JC (2004) Hormone replacement therapy: review, update, and remaining questions after the Women’s Health Initiative Study. Curr Osteoporos Rep 2:12–16

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Campbell J, Robertson M, Gardner M, et al. (1997) Randomised controlled trial of a general practice programme of home based exercise to prevent falls in elderly women. BMJ 315:1065–1069

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgment

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research funded this study. Drs. McKay and Liu-Ambrose are Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Career Scholars. Dr. Khan is a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis) New Investigator. Ms. Sherar is a Community and Population Health Research Strategic Training Fellow and Mr. Mundt is a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Regional Partnership Program Doctoral Research Scholar.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. UBC Bone Health Research Group: Centre for Hip Health, BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre Osteoporosis Program, and Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 828 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 1L8

    T. Liu-Ambrose, L. Kravetsky, K. M. Khan & H. A. McKay

  2. Department of Orthopaedics, University of British Columbia, 828 West 10th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V5Z 1L8

    T. Liu-Ambrose & H. A. McKay

  3. School of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of British Columbia, T325-2211 Westbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 2B5

    T. Liu-Ambrose

  4. Department of Experimental Medicine, University of British Columbia, 5125 Koerner Pavilion, 2211 Westbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z3

    L. Kravetsky

  5. College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, 87 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, S7N 5B3

    D. Bailey, L. Sherar, C. Mundt & A. Baxter-Jones

  6. School of Human Movement Studies, University of Queensland, Level 5, Building 26, St. Lucia, QLD, Australia, 4072

    D. Bailey

  7. Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, 5950 University Blvd., Vancouver, BC, Canada

    K. M. Khan & H. A. McKay

  8. School of Human Kinetics, University of British Columbia, 210-6081 University Blvd., Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z1

    K. M. Khan

Authors
  1. T. Liu-Ambrose
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L. Kravetsky
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. D. Bailey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. L. Sherar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. C. Mundt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. A. Baxter-Jones
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. K. M. Khan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. H. A. McKay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to H. A. McKay.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Liu-Ambrose, T., Kravetsky, L., Bailey, D. et al. Change in Lean Body Mass Is a Major Determinant of Change in Areal Bone Mineral Density of the Proximal Femur: A 12-Year Observational Study. Calcif Tissue Int 79, 145–151 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-006-0098-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00223-006-0098-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation