The relationship between bone mineral density and metabolic syndrome in peri- and post-menopausal Thai women

Purposes: To compare the bone mineral density (BMD) measured in the lumbar spine and femoral neck in peri- and post-menopausal Thai women with and without metabolic syndrome, and to determine which contributory factors associated with metabolic syndrome influence BMD. Methods: 427 peri- or post-menopausal Thai women were screened against the modified National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III) for Asian populations’ criteria for metabolic syndrome. The BMD of those with and without metabolic syndrome was compared, and potential relationships between the factors associated with metabolic syndrome and BMD were sought. Results: There was no difference in lumbar spine or femoral neck BMD between the groups (p = 0.605 and 0.415, respectively), but women with central obesity (waist circumference ≥80 cm, p = 0.004 and >88 cm, p = 0.002), low serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) concentration (p = 0.011) and a greater number of contributory factors to metabolic syndrome (p = 0.007) had significantly higher BMD at the femoral neck. Conclusions: A diagnosis of metabolic syndrome did not correlate with either lumbar spine or femoral neck BMD. However, higher femoral neck BMD was significantly associated with increased waist circumference, low serum HDL-C concentration and the number of contributory factors to metabolic syndrome.