Bone Mineral Density and Hemoglobin Levels: Opposite Associations in Younger and Older Women.

Tzyy-Ling Chuang,Malcolm Koo,Yuh-Feng Wang,Mei-Hua Chuang

doi:10.3390/ijerph18105495

Abstract

This cross-sectional, retrospective medical record review study aimed to investigate the association between hemoglobin levels and bone mineral density (BMD) in adult women. Medical records obtained from general health examinations conducted from June 2014 to July 2020 at a regional hospital in southern Taiwan were reviewed. Anthropometric and laboratory data were recorded. BMD of the lumbar spine and bilateral femoral neck regions was assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the association between BMD and hemoglobin level with and without adjusting for other anthropometric and laboratory data. The study included 9606 female patients with a mean age of 55.9 years. Of these, 2756 (28.7%) were aged ≤ 50 years and 6850 (71.3%) were aged > 50 years. Results from multiple linear regression analysis showed that hemoglobin and femoral and lumbar spine BMD were significantly correlated. A higher hemoglobin level was significantly associated with a lower BMD level in females aged ≤ 50 years, but with a higher BMD level in those aged > 50 years. Given the relationship between bone metabolism and hematopoiesis, additional research is needed to elucidate the association between hemoglobin and BMD levels in different age groups, particularly in premenopausal and perimenopausal women.

Highlights

Hemoglobin and Bone mineral density (BMD) showed an inverse association in females aged 50 years or younger, but a direct association in those older than 50 years. This divergent relationship was observed in the association of hemoglobin with the BMD of the lumbar spine, right femoral neck, and left femoral neck
We stratified our patients into two groups based on the mean age at natural menopause in Taiwan to compare the associations between hemoglobin and BMD
Findings from our study showed that hemoglobin level was significantly correlated with femoral and lumbar spine BMD

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Bone mineral density (BMD) value, acquired with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), is an estimation of the quantity of bone mass [1]. Women can experience pronounced bone loss during perimenopause and after menopause [2]. Low BMD and osteoporosis are major public health concerns, among women, because of their association with an increased risk of bone fracture and subsequent morbidity, mortality, disability, and decreased quality of life, as well as social costs [3,4]

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Conclusion