The behaviour of bone mineral density and bone metabolism index in young and menopausal women with the consideration of body mass index.

Background: The bone fractures in patients with osteopeny have broaden the risk factors by body mass index (BMI) and bone metabolism assessment defined with bone scintigraphy. The aim of the study was to evaluate the behavior of bone mineral density (BMD) and bone metabolism index (IBM) in both young women and those more than 50 years old, as associated with BMI.

Material/methods: BMD and IBM were assessed in young women (group 1; n=66) and those after 50 (group II; n=67) with the allowance for BMI (< or =25 kg/cm(2) and >25 kg/cm(2)). Detailed densitometric and radioisotopic examinations were performed in all patients. The results of BMI, IBM and BMD were compared.

Results: In women with BMI >25, IBM was insignificantly lower than in women with BMI <25, independent of age (p>0.05). Comparing with the women with normal BMI, there was a slight increase of femoral bone neck and the whole skeleton BMD, thus IBM was insignificantly lower (p>0.05). A powerful positive correlation was observed between IBM and BMD of femoral bone neck and the whole skeleton. With BMI <25, there was a weak positive correlation of BMI and IBM. In young women with BMI >25 there was a powerful positive correlation of BMD and IBM.

Conclusions: Independently of BMI, together with age increase, BMD was lower, yet, the dependency between BMI and BMD was increasing. We showed a strong statistical dependency between BMD and IBM.