Association of Body Fluid Distribution with Bone Mineral Density and Osteoporosis in Men Aged under 50: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background

This cross-Sectional study aimed to elucidate the relationship between body fluid distribution and bone mineral density (BMD) as well as the risk of osteoporosis in men aged under 50.

Methods

The study included male participants aged under 50 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). BMD was measured via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Body fluid distribution was defined as extracellular fluid (ECF), intracellular fluid (ICF), and total body water (TBW) assessed by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Weighted logistic regression and weighted linear regression were adopted to unveil the associations of body fluid distribution with osteoporosis risk and BMD. Subgroup analyses were carried out. Restrictive cubic spline (RCS) models were leveraged to unravel potential non-linear relationships of body fluid distribution with osteoporosis risk and BMD.

Results

1,815 participants (weighted samples: 46,823,836) were encompassed in our analysis. Among the participants, 10 cases of osteoporosis were identified (weighted samples: 319,031). The results showed significant correlations of increases in ECF, ICF, and TBW with a decrease in osteoporosis risk and an elevation in BMD. RCS analysis indicated an approximately linear relationship between body fluid components and both osteoporosis risk and BMD. Subgroup analysis revealed consistent trends between body fluid components, osteoporosis risk, and BMD across various subgroups.

Conclusions

Increases in ECF, ICF, and TBW were significantly linked to a lowered osteoporosis risk and enhanced BMD. These findings may aid clinicians in the early identification and intervention of patients at risk for bone loss. However, due to the cross-sectional design, causality cannot be inferred, and prospective studies are warranted.