The relationship between metabolic syndrome and bone health: results of a retrospective gender specific female study.

Background:Osteoporosis (OP) and Metabolic Syndrome (MS) are prevalent in aging westernized societies and adversely affect the health of the elderly people by causing fractures and vascular complications. It is well known that visceral obesity, the main component of MS, is a source of proinflammatory cytokines that may promote bone resorption. Many studies have pointed out the relationship between MS and bone metabolism, but the results are still contradictory.The aim of our retrospective study was to examine the possible link between classical features of MS and bone metabolism in a cohort of postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. Materials and methods: a total of 125 postmenopausal diabetic women with MS (mean age 66,7± 7,8 yrs) were recruited in our outpatients clinic.We used Pearson correlation analysis to evaluate the associations between MS defined by NCEP-ATP III criteria, with both femoral and lumbar BMD and T-score. Moreover, in each patient HbA1c, Body mass index (BMI) and visceral adiposity index (VAI) were studied. 􀀵􀁈􀁖􀁘􀁏􀁗􀁖􀀝􀀃 􀀚􀀗􀀃 􀁚􀁒􀁐􀁈􀁑􀀃 􀀋􀀘􀀜􀀈􀀌􀀃 􀁋􀁄􀁇􀀃 􀁄􀀃 􀀃 􀀥􀀰􀀬􀀃 􀂕􀀃 􀀖􀀓􀀃 􀁎􀁊􀀒􀁐􀀕􀀃 􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃 􀀔􀀓􀀖􀀃 􀀋􀀛􀀙􀀈􀀌􀀃 􀁋􀁄􀁇􀀃 􀁄􀀃 􀁋􀁌􀁊􀁋􀀃􀁚􀁄􀁌􀁖􀁗 circumference ( mean WC 96,5±10,4 cm). VAI was high in 113 out of 125 women (mean 􀀹􀀤􀀬􀀝􀀃 􀀗􀀏􀀛􀀖􀂓􀀖􀀏􀀓􀀖􀀌􀀑􀀃 􀀗􀀚􀀃 􀀋􀀗􀀓􀀈􀀌􀀃 􀁖􀁘􀁅􀁍􀁈􀁆􀁗􀁖􀀃 􀁋􀁄􀁇􀀃 􀁄􀀃 􀀷􀀐􀁖􀁆􀁒􀁕􀁈􀀃 􀂔􀀃 􀀐􀀕􀀏􀀘􀀃 􀁇􀁌􀁄􀁊􀁑􀁒􀁖􀁗􀁌􀁆􀀃 􀁉􀁒􀁕􀀃􀀲􀀳􀀏􀀃􀁚􀁋􀁌􀁏􀁈􀀃􀀗􀀘 (36%) patients showed osteopenia (T-score among -1 e -2,5), and 33 (26%) had a normal T-score. Duration of disease, HbA1c, lipids profile and blood pressure were not related to BMD and T-score. VAI (r: 0,203; p:0,02), BMI (r : 0,311;p<0,001) and WC (r:0,337; p< 0,001) showed a significant positive correlation with both femoral and lumbar BMD and T-score. Conclusions: In our study MS was not associated with reduced BMD. The low grade inflammation in MS could affect BMD, but the protective effect of adiposity may counteract the negative influence of adipocytokines on bone mass.