The Association between Fat Mass, Lean Mass and Bone Mineral Density in Premenopausal Women in Korea: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: We investigated the association between body composition, especially truncal or non-truncal fat mass (FM), and bone mineral density (BMD) in premenopausal women in Korea.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey IV and V (2008-2011). Total lean mass (LM), total FM (TFM), truncal FM, and non-truncal FM, and BMD of the total femur, femoral neck (FN), and lumbar spine were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The association between body composition and BMD was analyzed using multiple linear regression. The risk of low BMD according to quartiles of TFM, truncal FM, and non-truncal FM was calculated using logistic regression. Subgroup analysis according to body mass index was also performed.

Results: In 4,343 premenopausal women, total LM was positively associated with BMD regardless of weight adjustment. TFM, truncal FM, and non-truncal FM were inversely associated with BMD after adjusting for weight. Odds ratios (ORs) for low BMD and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the highest quartile of TFM, truncal FM, and non-truncal FM compared with the lowest quartile were calculated. The risk of low BMD of the FN was higher in the highest quartile of TFM (OR, 4.48; 95% CI, 1.11-18.01) and truncal FM (OR, 5.48; 95% CI, 1.75-17.20). Truncal FM and not-truncal FM had an inverse association with BMD in the non-obese and obese subgroups of women.

Conclusion: Total LM has a protective effect on BMD and FM can have a detrimental effect on BMD besides its skeletal loading effect.