Age-related variations in trunk composition and patterns of regional bone and soft tissue changes in adult Caucasian women by DXA

We explored the regional variations in body composition with advancing age in healthy Caucasian females living in the Mediterranean area. The objectives of this study were to establish body composition values for the trunk in healthy women of a Greek origin and to evaluate the effects of aging on the distribution of truncal bone mass, fat mass (FM) and lean mass (LM). Body composition of the trunk and detailed analysis of its anatomical components—the ribs, the thoracic spine, the lumbar spine and the pelvis, and FM and LM ratios––were calculated in 330 women aged 20–85 years, using DXA. Peak bone mineral density (BMD) of the trunk was attained between ages 30 and 33. The overall truncal BMD reduction with age was 20.7% ( p