Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Menopause Are Independently Associated With Lower Bone Mineral Density: Results From the Women’s Interagency HIV Study

Abstract Background We previously reported lower bone mineral density (BMD) among premenopausal women with HIV (WWH) compared to women without HIV (HIV−). Rate of bone loss may be even greater for WWH during the menopausal transition. Methods Pre-, peri- and postmenopausal women in the Women\'s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) underwent whole body DXA and central quantitative computed tomography to measure areal BMD (aBMD) and volumetric BMD (vBMD), respectively. Multivariable regression models with covariates associated with low aBMD (T score < −1.0) in univariate analyses (P≤.05) and known risk factors for low BMD assessed contributions of HIV and menopausal stage to the prediction of aBMD. Results Compared to HIV− women, in unadjusted analyses, WWH had 5–9% lower aBMD at the lumbar spine (P=.001), femoral neck (P=.04), total hip (P=.003) and the ultradistal radius (P=.004), and higher osteoporosis prevalence (T score