The associations of statin intake and the trabecular bone score and bone mineral density status in elderly Iranian individuals: a cross-sectional analysis of the Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) program.

Abstract

In recent years, a growing interest has been established to evaluate the impact of statin intake on bone health, although the reported results are controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the association of statin intake with bone health status according to BMD and TBS. This cross-sectional analysis used data from the elderly Iranian individuals who participated in the Bushehr Elderly Health (BEH) program. Dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) device was used to evaluate the BMD at lumbar spine (L1-L4), femoral neck, and total hip, as well as TBS at lumbar spine. Among 2426 (1260 women and 1166 men) study participants, 778 were statin users. A positive significant association, irrespective of sex, was observed between statin intake and BMD at L1-L4, even after controlling for potential variables in total population (β = 0.016, p = 0.013). The mean TBS values at L1-L4 were negatively associated with statin intake in total population (β = - 0.009, p = 0.001), while in the full adjusted model, significant positive association between TBS and statin intake was detected only in men (β = 0.013, p = 0.02). The results of this study revealed that BMD at lumbar spine has a significant association with statin intake. However, such an association appears to be weaker regarding TBS values compared to BMD.