Association between Abdominal Obesity and Lumbar Bone Mineral Density According to the Postmenopausal Period in Korean Women.

Abstract

BackgroundThis study aimed to evaluate the association between abdominal obesity and lumbar bone mineral density (BMD) according to the postmenopausal period of Korean women.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study. Among the 1,923 women enrolled, 1,138 were included in the study; 785 women were excluded based on conditions that might have affected their bone density. Subjects were divided into short postmenopausal period (SPP, 0–5 years after menopause) and long postmenopausal period (LPP, 6–10 years after menopause). The association between abdominal obesity (waist circumference ≥85 cm) and lumbar BMD according to postmenopausal period in Korean women was assessed.ResultsAfter adjusting for age, exercise amount, alcohol consumption, skeletal muscle mass, and body fat mass, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for osteoporosis in the group with abdominal obesity compared to the group without abdominal obesity was 0.38 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16–0.88; P=0.023) in the SPP group. However, in the LPP and total groups, the adjusted ORs were not significant. The adjusted ORs for low bone mass showed no significance in the SPP, LPP, and total groups.ConclusionIn the SPP group, the risk of osteoporosis was lower in the group with abdominal obesity than in the group without abdominal obesity. However, in the LPP group, no significant difference was found. Therefore, the effect of abdominal obesity on lumbar BMD may be just for a short period after menopause (0–5 years).