Association Between Osteoporosis and Adiposity Index Reveals Nonlinearity Among Postmenopausal Women and Linearity Among Men Aged over 50 Years

Purpose: Previous research shows conflicting views on the relationship between obesity and osteoporosis, partly due to variations in obesity classification and the nonlinear nature of these relationships. This study investigated the association between adiposity indices and osteoporosis, diagnosed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), employing nonlinear models and offering optimal thresholds to prevent further bone mineral density decline.

Methods: In 2019, a prospective study enrolled males over 50 years and postmenopausal women. Anthropometric measurements, blood biochemistry, and osteoporosis measured by DXA were collected. Associations between adiposity indices and osteoporosis were analyzed using a generalized additive model and segmented regression model.

Results: The study included 872 women and 1321 men. Indices such as abdominal volume index (AVI), visceral adiposity index (VAI), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio, and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were inversely associated with osteoporosis. In women, the relationship between the risk of osteoporosis and the adiposity indices was U-shaped, with thresholds of WC = 94 cm, AVI = 17.67 cm, BMI = 25.74 kg/m, VAI = 4.29, and WHtR = 0.61, considering changes in bone mineral density. Conversely, men exhibited a linear patterns for the inverse association.

Conclusion: The impact of obesity and adiposity on osteoporosis varies significantly between women and men. In postmenopausal women, the relationship is nonlinear (U-shaped), with both very low and very high adiposity linked to higher osteoporosis risk. In men over 50, the relationship is linear, with higher adiposity associated with lower osteoporosis risk. The study suggests that maintaining specific levels of adiposity could help prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women.