QJM - Monthly Journal of the Association of Physicians
Volume 97, Issue 2, 2004, Pages 95-99

Bone mineral status in immigrant Indo-Asian women (Article) (Open Access)

Mehta G. , Taylor P. , Petley G. , Dennison E. , Cooper C. , Walker-Bone K.*
  • a Department of Rheumatology, Charing Cross Hospital, London, United Kingdom
  • b Osteoporosis Centre, Dept. of Medical Physics/Bioeng., Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
  • c Engineering Section, Dept. of Medical Physics/Bioeng., Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
  • d MRC Environmental Epidemiology Unit, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
  • e MRC Environmental Epidemiology Unit, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, United Kingdom
  • f Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9PX, United Kingdom

Abstract

Background: Indo-Asian immigrants are known to be at high risk of metabolic bone disease, but the prevalence of osteoporosis in this population is unknown. Aim: To compare the bone mineral at the lumbar spine and femoral neck of Indo-Asian immigrant women with that of age-matched Caucasian women. Design: Retrospective analysis. Methods: Women of Indo-Asian origin referred for bone density scans in the last five years were identified. The skeletal status of each was compared with an age-matched Caucasian control for bone mineral content (BMC), bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral apparent density (BMAD) at the lumbar spine and femoral neck, and hip axis length was measured. Results: At the lumbar spine, Indo-Asians had a significantly lower BMD than Caucasians (0.834 vs. 0.913, p=0.008), but there was no significant difference when BMAD values were calculated (0.123 vs. 0.122). At the femoral neck, there was no difference in BMD (0.728 vs. 0.712, p=0.5), and BMAD values were significantly higher among Indo-Asians than Caucasians (0.393 vs. 0.319, p=0.022). Hip axis length was significantly shorter among Indo-Asian women (10.3 vs. 10.7, p=0.009). Discussion: Although Indo-Asian women appear to have lower spinal BMD than Caucasians, these differences disappear when BMAD values are calculated. While BMD is an areal density, not taking into account the 'depth' of the bone, BMAD is an estimation of volumetric density. Hence lower BMD values in Asians may be a size-related artefact. Longitudinal studies may be required to evaluate the use of BMD as a marker for fracture risk in this population.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

statistical analysis immigrant fracture Asian India Caucasian Indian human risk assessment middle aged controlled study densitometry priority journal Aged Great Britain statistical significance Humans ethnic difference female clinical article Article Retrospective Studies adult Femur Neck Bone Density bone mineral lumbar spine Transients and Migrants Lumbar Vertebrae retrospective study
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-1242296927&doi=10.1093%2fqjmed%2fhch017&partnerID=40&md5=2f53ed053665124d6bae0337c2fa1a4a
DOI: 10.1093/qjmed/hch017
ISSN: 14602725
Cited by: 16
Original Language: English