Positive association between metabolic syndrome and bone mineral density among Malaysians

Objectives: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of metabolic abnormalities that elevates the individual risk of cardiovascular diseases. These abnormalities are also known to alter bone remodelling. Therefore, MetS may be associated with osteoporosis. This study aims to determine the association between MetS and its components and bone mineral density (BMD) assessed by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) among Malaysians. Methods: 400 Malaysians aged ≥ 40 years (52.5% women) residing in Klang Valley, Malaysia, were recruited. Subjects' demographic and lifestyle details were collected using a questionnaire, and blood pressure and body anthropometry were measured. Subjects' lumbar spine and total hip BMD were measured by DXA. Their fasting blood was collected for blood glucose level and lipid profile analysis. Regression analysis was used to analyze the relationship between MetS or its components and BMD. Results: Subjects with MetS had higher BMD compared to subjects without MetS in models unadjusted for BMI (spine p=0.008; hip p