Bone mineral density among postmenopausal women in Basra

Analysis of Factors Influencing Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women: A Cross-Sectional Study and Implications for Nursing Practice

Background:To analyze the bone mineral density (BMD) status of postmenopausal women, thereby providing a basis for precise clinical nursing interventions, an area that remains underexplored in tailored gerontological nursing practice.Methods:This was a retrospective and cross-sectional study. A total of 1375 postmenopausal women aged 45–59 years who underwent BMD examination at Jinhua Hospital of Zhejiang University from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025 were retrospectively enrolled. Demographic data, bone metabolism markers, sex hormones, blood lipids, and other relevant indices were collected. Participants were categorized into three groups based on BMD results: normal BMD, osteopenia, and osteoporosis. Intergroup comparisons were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), or the χ2 test. Independent associated factors were identified using multinomial logistic regression, and subgroup analyses were performed.Results:Subgroup analysis revealed that BMD decreased with increasing age (p < 0.001) and decreasing body mass index (BMI) (p < 0.001), and that BMD distribution also differed among occupational types (p = 0.001). Compared with the normal BMD group, univariate analysis and multinomial logistic regression showed that older age, lower BMI, lower serum calcium, and elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were independently associated with osteopenia (p < 0.05 for all). Estradiol levels also showed a statistically significant but clinically negligible association (p = 0.035). Older age, lower BMI, elevated ALP, lower testosterone, and elevated lipoprotein(a) levels were identified as independent predictors for osteoporosis (p < 0.05 for all).Conclusions:Increasing age, low BMI, increased bone turnover, reduced testosterone, and elevated lipoprotein(a) were identified as factors significantly associated with reduced BMD in postmenopausal women.

Prevalence of densitometric osteoporosis in women younger than 65 years without indications for DXA screening

Osteoporosis is the most prevalent metabolic bone disease and is associated with an increased risk of fragility fractures. Current guidelines recommend bone mineral density (BMD) assessment by DXA primarily in women aged ≥65 years or in younger women with clinical risk factors. However, DXA is frequently performed in women under 65 years without guideline-based indications. Objective: To describe the prevalence of densitometric osteoporosis in women under 65 years undergoing DXA in the absence of clinical risk factors. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at a referral center. Women aged 40–65 years consecutively referred for DXA between February and September 2024 were included. Participants with FRAX® clinical risk factors, major osteoporotic fractures, secondary metabolic bone diseases, or dietary restrictions were excluded. BMD was assessed at the lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck. Osteoporosis was defined as a T-score ≤ -2.5. Results: A total of 119 women were included (mean age 53 years; range 43-62). Mean T-scores were -0.9±1.3 at the lumbar spine, -0.9±1.1 at the total hip, and -1.0±1.0 at the femoral neck. BMD values within the osteoporotic range was observed in 13% (n=15) at the lumbar spine and in 7% (n=8) at both the total hip and femoral neck. Overall, 17% (n=20) had BMD values within the osteoporotic range at at least one skeletal site. Conclusion: Densitometric osteoporosis was identified in a relevant proportion of women younger than 65 years without traditional risk factors, supporting an individualized approach to bone health assessment.

The Association between Vitamin D and Bone Mineral Density in Postmenopausal Women

Pregnancy history is associated with lower odds of osteoporosis among Taiwanese women.

BACKGROUND Osteoporosis is a major public health concern worldwide. Although female reproductive factors have been suggested to influence bone health, their associations with osteoporosis remain inconclusive. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the associations between reproductive characteristics and the odds of osteoporosis in Taiwanese women. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using data from women randomly selected from the Taiwan Biobank. Bone mineral density (BMD) status was classified into three categories according to the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria: normal BMD (T-score > - 1.0), osteopenia (- 2.5 < T-score ≤ - 1.0), and osteoporosis (T-score ≤ - 2.5). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between reproductive factors and the odds of BMD status. RESULTS Among the 4,854 participants, 3,107 (64.0%) were classified as having normal BMD, 1,374 (28.3%) as having osteopenia, and 373 (7.7%) as having osteoporosis. Univariate analysis showed that a history of pregnancy was associated with a higher odd of osteopenia (odds ratio [OR] = 1.946, 95% CI: 1.589-2.382, p < 0.001), osteoporosis (OR = 1.825, 95% CI: 1.288-2.586, p = 0.001), and low BMD level (T-score < -0.1) (OR = 1.919, 95% CI: 1.597-2.306, p < 0.001). After adjusting for known confounders, pregnancy history was associated with a lower odd of osteoporosis (adjusted OR = 0.644, 95% CI: 0.422-0.981, p = 0.041), but not significantly associated with the odds of osteopenia or low BMD level. CONCLUSIONS Pregnancy history was independently associated with lower odds of osteoporosis among Taiwanese women after adjustment for known confounding factors. However, given the cross-sectional nature of this study, causal relationships cannot be established. Future longitudinal studies are warranted to validate this finding.

Sarcopenia risk in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis: a SARC-F-based assessment ​

Background/aim: Osteoporosis and sarcopenia are diseases of bone and muscle tissue, respectively. Studies reported that these disorders were interrelated. However, this relation was explored in older adults and/or with certain comorbidities, and information about nonelderly postmenopausal women is scarce. This study’s objectives were to investigate the relationship between osteoporosis and SARC-F-defined sarcopenia risk in postmenopausal women aged ≤70 years and to examine the effect of other factors on this risk. Materials and methods: This multicenter case-control study included postmenopausal women aged 45–70 years. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was utilized to diagnose osteoporosis. Sociodemographic and clinical variables, sarcopenia risk (SARC-F), muscle strength (grip strength and five-times sit-to-stand test: 5T-STS), and physical activity levels (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form) were compared between osteoporotic and nonosteoporotic participants. Results: A total of 119 osteoporotic (median age: 58 years) and 119 nonosteoporotic (median age: 59 years) participants were recruited. No differences were observed between the osteoporotic and nonosteoporotic groups regarding SARC-F-defined sarcopenia risk (48.7% vs. 38.7%, p = 0.117), probable sarcopenia (14.5% vs. 15.3%, p = 0.876), grip strength (23 vs. 22 kg, p = 0.329), 5T-STS (13.90 vs. 13.96 s, p = 0.986), or physical activity levels (907.5 vs. 792 MET-min/week, p = 0.983). Although educational level [odds ratio (OR): 0.366, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.189–0.707, p = 0.003], proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use (OR: 2.494, 95% CI: 1.227–5.068, p = 0.012), and physical activity level (OR: 0.966, 95% CI: 0.945–0.988, p = 0.003) were independent predictors of SARC-F-defined sarcopenia risk, osteoporosis was not (p = 0.176). Conclusion: SARC-F-defined sarcopenia risk was not increased in women with postmenopausal osteoporosis aged ≤70 years compared to nonosteoporotic controls. Lower educational status, PPI use, and low physical activity levels were associated with an increased SARC-F-defined sarcopenia risk.

The Obesity–Bone Paradox in Postmenopausal Women: Divergent Associations of BMI with Bone Mineral Density and Trabecular Bone Score in a Real-World DXA Cohort

In postmenopausal women, higher BMI was associated with higher BMD but lower TBS, supporting a divergent relationship between densitometric findings and DXA-derived trabecular texture parameters, and suggesting that TBS may complement BMD in describing skeletal imaging status in overweight and obese women.