[Relationship between bone remodeling and metabolism in the elderly].

Background: Recent studies have shown that osteocalcin (OC) is related to not only bone metabolism but also energy metabolism. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether OC was associated with metabolic factors and bone mineral density (BMD) in elderly men.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was done including 122 healthy men aged 60 years or older. Serum glucose, lipids, insulin, adiponectin and OC were measured and BMD was estimated using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Results: 42.8% of men had metabolic syndrome (MetS). OC levels were not significantly different between men with and without MetS. OC concentrations were inversely associated with body mass index (BMI) (r = −0.226, p = 0.04), waist circumference (r = −0.261, p = 0.02), glucose (r = −0.245, p = 0.03), insulin (r = −0.235, p = 0.03), and HOMA-IR (r = −0.211, p = 0.04). In addition, OC levels were higher in patients with diminished BMD compared with those with normal BMD.

Conclusions: OC levels correlate negatively with BMI, waist circumference, glucose, insulin and HOMA-IR in elderly men, which suggests a connection between bone and energy metabolism.