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Pediatrics

Effect of cardiometabolic risk factors on the relationship between adiposity and bone mass in girls

International Journal of Obesity volume 42, pages 1185–1194 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Background/objective

Childhood obesity has been separately associated with cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRs) and increased risk of fracture. However, both augmented and compromised bone mass have been reported among overweight/obese children. Metabolic dysfunction, often co-existing with obesity, may explain the discrepancy in previous studies. The aim of this study was to examine whether the relationship between adiposity and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) derived bone mass differed in young girls with and without CMR(s).

Subjects/methods

Whole-body bone and body composition measures by DXA and measures of CMR (fasting glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference (WC)) were obtained from 307, 9- to 12-year-old girls. Girls with 1 or ≥ 2 CMR(s) were considered to be at risk (vs. no CMR). Multiple linear regression was used to test the relationship of total fat mass with total body bone mineral content (BMC) after controlling for height, lean mass, CMR risk, and other potential confounders.

Results

There was a significant interaction between CMR risk and total body fat mass. When girls were stratified by CMR group, all groups had a significant positive relationship between fat mass and BMC (p < 0.05), however, girls with ≥ 2 CMRs had a lower BMC for a given level of body fat. Total body fat was not significantly related to bone mineral density (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

Fat mass has a positive relationship with BMC even after controlling for lean mass. However, the positive relationship of fat mass with BMC may be attenuated if multiple CMRs are present.

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Acknowledgements

This study was executed at the University of Arizona Collaboratory for Metabolic Disease Prevention and Treatment Center. The study was supported by National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Award #HD074565).

Funding

The work herein was carried out with financial support from the US National Institute of Health Grant R01 HD-074565. The funder had no role in study design data collection, analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA

    Megan Hetherington-Rauth, Jennifer W. Bea, Robert M. Blew, Janet L. Funk, Vinson R. Lee, Tiffany C. Varadi & Scott B. Going

  2. Departments of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

    Jennifer W. Bea & Janet L. Funk

  3. Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ, 85724, USA

    Jennifer W. Bea & Denise J. Roe

  4. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721, USA

    Denise J. Roe

  5. Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85724, USA

    Mark D. Wheeler

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  1. Megan Hetherington-Rauth
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Correspondence to Megan Hetherington-Rauth.

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Hetherington-Rauth, M., Bea, J.W., Blew, R.M. et al. Effect of cardiometabolic risk factors on the relationship between adiposity and bone mass in girls. Int J Obes 42, 1185–1194 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-018-0134-x

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